Finney,  Charles  Grandison, 

1792-1875. 
Lectures  on  revivals  of 

religion 

wmi:, 


Lectures  on  Re' 
of  Religion 


JUl 


i'.\L 


^:^m 


By 

CHARLES    G.   FINNEY 

£ttthor  of  **  Lectures  to  Professing  Christians^ 
*•  Sermons  on  Gospel  Themes,'*  etc. 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming     H.     Revell     Company 

IjOndon  and  Edinburgh 


SDtnwl  according  to  Act  of  Congrmi  in  tiM  jmr  18S8,  Of 

B.   J.   GOODRICH, 

^  tite  Clerk'i  Offlo*  of  th«  District  Court  of  the  United  St*tM  Iter  tiM  Nortlb^ 

Dlctrict  of  OUo. 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


THE   LECTUKER'S   PREFACE. 

LU  it  be  remembered,  that  these  Lectures  were  delivered  to  my  ovm 
congregation.  They  were  entered  upon,  without  my  having  previously 
marked  out  any  plan  or  outline  of  them,  and  have  been  pursued,  from 
week  to  week,  as  one  subject  naturally  Introduced  another,  and  as,  from 
one  lecture  to  another,  I  saw  the  state  of  our  people  seemed  to  require. 

I  consented  to  have  the  Editor  of  the  Evangelist  report  them,  upon 
bis  own  responsibility,  because  he  thought  that  it  might  excite  a  deeper 
interest  in,  and  extend  the  usefulness  of,  his  paper.  And  as  I  am  now 
a  Pastor,  and  have  not  sufficient  health  to  labor  as  an  Evangelist,  and 
aa  it  has  pleased  the  Head  of  the  Church  to  give  me  some  experience 
in  revivals  of  religion,  I  thought  it  possible  that,  while  I  was  doing  the 
work  of  a  Pastor  in  my  own  church,  I  might,  in  this  way,  be  of  some 
little  service  to  the  churches  abroad. 

I  found  a  particular  inducement  to  this  course,  In  the  fact  that  on  my 
return  from  the  Mediterranean,  I  learned,  with  pain,  that  the  spirit  of 
revival  had  greatly  declined  in  the  United  States,  and  that  a  spirit  of 
jangling  and  controversy  alarmingly  prevailed. 

The  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  church,  aAd  the  state  of  revivals, 
was  such,  ae  una/ooidably  to  lead  me  to  the  discussion  of  some  points 
that  I  would  gladly  have  avoided,  had  the  omission  been  consistent 
with  my  main  design,  to  reach  and  arouse  the  church,  when  she  waa 
&fit  settling  down  upon  her  lees. 

I  am  far  from  setting  up  the  claim  of  infaUibility  upon  this  or  any 
other  subject.  I  have  given  my  own  views,  so  far  as  I  have  gone,  with- 
out pretending  to  have  exhausted  the  subject,  or  to  have  spoken  in  the 
best  possible  manner  upon  the  points  I  have  discussed. 

1  am  too  well  acquainted  with  the  state  of  the  church,  and  esipedally 
with  the  state  of  some  of  its  ministers,  to  expect  to  escape  without 
censure.  I  have  felt  obliged  to  say  some  things  that  I  fear  wiU  not,  in 
an  instances,  be  received  as  kindly  as  they  were  intended.  But  what- 
ever may  be  the  result  of  saying  the  truth  as  it  respects  some,  I  have 
reason  to  believe,  that  the  g^-eat  body  of  praying  people  will  receive 
and  be  benefited  by  what  I  have  said. 

What  I  have  said  upon  the  subject  of  prayer,  will  not,  I  am  web 
aware,  be  understood  and  received  by  a  certain  portion  of  the  church 
and  all  I  can  say  is,  "  Rf,  that  hath  an  ear  to  hear,  let  him  hear.'' 


rr  THB  lbctureb's  pbepacb. 

I  had  not  the  most  dietant  idea  until  recently,  that  these  LeetoreA,  ia 
tMs,  or  any  other  form,  would  ever  grow  into  a  book  ;  but  the  urgent 
eall  for  their  publication,  in  a  volume,  and  the  fact  that  I  have  had  re- 
peated assurances  that  the  reading  of  them  in  the  Evangelist,  has  been 
owned  and  blessed,  to  the  quickening  of  individuals  and  churches,  and 
has  resulted  in  the  conversion  of  many  sinners,  have  led  me  to  consent 
to  their  publication  in  this  imperfect  form. 

/The  Reporter  has  succeeded,  in  general,  in  giving  an  outline  of  the 
/  Lectures,  as  they  were  delivered.  His  report,  however,  would,  in  gen- 
eral, make  no  more  than  a  full  skeleton  of  what  was  said  on  the  subject 
at  the  time.  In  justice  to  the  Reporter,  I  would  say,  that  on  reading 
his  reports,  in  his  paper,  although  there  were  some  mistakes  and  mis- 
apprehensions, yet  I  have  been  surprised  that,  without  stenography,  he 
could  so  nearly  report  my  meaning. 

As  for  literary  merit,  they  have  none  ;  nor  do  they  lay  claim  to  any 
It  was  no  part  of  my  design  to  deliver  elegant  Lectures.  They  were 
my  most  familiar  Friday  evening  discourses  ;  and  my  great,  and  I  may 
add  my  only  object,  was  to  have  them  understood  and  felt. 

In  correcting  the  Lectures  for  a  volume,  I  have  not  had  time,  nor  was 
it  thought  advisable  to  remodel  them,  and  change  the  style  in  which 
they  had  been  reported.  I  have,  in  some  few  instances,  changed  the 
phraseology,  when  a  thought  had  been  very  awkwardly  expressed,  or 
When  the  true  idea  had  not  been  given.  But  I  have,  in  nearly  every 
Instance,  left  the  sentences  as  they  were  reported  when  the  thought 
was  perspicuously  expressed,  although  the  style  might  have  been  im- 
proved by  emendation.  They  were  the  editor's  reports,  and  as  such 
they  must  go  before  the  public,  with  such  little  additions  and  altera- 
tions, as  I  have  had  time  to  make.  Could  I  have  written  them  out  in 
ftdl,  I  doubt  not  but  they  might  have  been  more  acceptable  to  many 
readers.  But  this  was  impossible,  and  the  only  alternative  was,  to  let 
the  public  have  them  as  they  are,  or  refuse  to  let  them  go  out  in  the 
form  of  a  volume  at  all.  I  am  sorry  they  are  not  better  Lectures,  and  in 
a  more  attracting  form  ;  but  I  have  done  what  I  could  under  the  circum- 
stances ;  and,  as  it  is  the  wish  of  many  whom  I  love,  and  delight  to  please 
and  honor,  to  have  them,  although  in  this  imperfect  form,  they  must 
have  them. 

a  Q.  FINNEY. 

By  x)erusing  the  above  Prefiftce,  the  reader  will  get  a  due  to  the  tims 
and  ci/rowmstances  that  led  to  the  delivery  and  publication  of  these  Lec- 
tures. In  revising  them  for  a  new  edition,  I  have  done  little  more  than 
correct  the  phraseology  in  a  few  instances,  add  a  few  foot-notes,  and 
replace  the  last  two  Lectures  by  newly-written  ones  on  the  same  taxt(^ 


and  prepared  especially  for  this  edition.  These  Lectures  are  distinct 
from  the  course  I  deliver  to  my  theological  class  upon  the  same  subject. 
That  course  I  may  publish  before  my  death.  These  Lectures  have  been 
translated  in  the  Welsh  and  French  languages,  and  have  been  very 
extensively  circulated  wherever  the  English  or  either  of  those  lan- 
guages is  understood.  One  house  in  London  published  80,000  copies 
in  English.  They  are  still  in  type  and  in  market  in  Europe,  and  I 
have  tlie  great  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  they  have  been  made  a 
great  blessing  to  thousands  of  souls.  Consequently,  I  have  not  thought 
it  wise  to  recast  them  for  the  sake  of  giving  them  a  more  attractive 
form.  God  has  owned  and  blessed  the  reading  of  them  as  they  have 
been,  and  with  the  exceptions  above  noticed,  I  have  given  them  to  the 
present  and  coming  generations.  If  the  reader  will  peruse  and  remem- 
ber the  foregoing  preface,  he  will  understand  what  I  said  of  the  church 
and  some  of  the  ministers,  and  why  I  said  it.  I  beseech  my  brethren 
not  to  tabe  amiss  what  I  have  said,  but  rather  to  be  assured  that  every 
sentence  has  been  spoken  in  love,  and  often  with  a  sorrowful  hean. 
May  God  continue  to  add  His  blessing  to  the  reading  of  these  Lectures 

THE  AUTHOR. 
Obbrld;  Gollbob,  Oct.  22, 136& 


ADVEBTISEMENT  BY  THE  REPORTER. 

fHE  work  of  reporting  these  Lectures  was  undertaken  for  the  pm 
pose  of  increasing  the  interest  and  usefulness  of  the  New  York  Evar^ 
gelUt.  The  Reporter  is  wholly  unacquainted  with  short-hand,  and  has» 
therefore,  only  aimed  to  give  a  sketch  of  the  leading  thoughts  of  the 
discourse.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  mention  that  Mr.  Finney  never 
writes  his  sermons,  but  guides  hia  course  of  argument  by  a  skeleton, 
or  brief,  carefully  prepared,  and  so  compact,  that  it  can  be  written  on 
one  side  of  a  card,  about  half  as  large  as  one  of  these  printed  pages. 
His  manner  is  direct,  and  his  language  colloquial  and  Saxon,  and  hia 
illustrations  are  drawn  from  the  commonest  incidents  and  maxims  of 
life.  The  Reporter  has  aimed  to  preserve,  as  much  as  he  could,  the 
style  of  the  speaker,  and  is  thought  to  have  been  in  some  degree  iuc- 
cessful.  If,  in  any  cases,  by  letting  his  language  run  in  a  colloquial 
strain,  he  has  made  the  copy  more  simple  and  homely  than  the  original, 
he  hopes  to  be  pardoned  easily  for  a  fault  by  no  means  prevalent. 

If  any  one  should  attempt  to  criticise  the  style  of  these  Reports,  he 
will  assuredly  lose  his  labor  ;  for  the  only  ambition  of  the  Reporter  has 
been,  to  make  such  a  use  of  language  as  should  fully  convey  the  mean- 
ing, and  fairly  exhibit  the  manner,  of  the  Lecturer.  When  words  have 
done  this,  they  have  done  their  great  work.  The  notes  were  taken 
with  a  pencil,  and  transcribed  in  great  haste,  and  sent  to  the  printer 
without  revision.  In  preparing  them  for  republication,  in  this  form, 
Mr.  Finney  has  reviewed  them  with  reference  only  to  this  point — the 
correct  expression  of  the  sentiment.  The  style  of  an  off-hand  sketch 
has  been  preserved,  partly  of  choice,  and  partly  from  necessity.  There 
was  no  time  to  remodel  the  wark,  and  the  public  voice  seemed  to  be, 
that  it  was  more  attractive  and  more  useful  in  its  present  condensed 
form.  Mr.  Finney  has,  therefore,  done  little  more  than  to  amend  where 
the  Reporter  misapprehended  the  meaning,  or  did  not  express  it  with 
BuflQcient  distinctness.  He  has  enlarged  in  a  few  places  where  the 
Illustrations,  as  given  by  the  Reporter,  seemed  to  be  incomplete. 

My  labor  with  these  sketches  is  now  done  ;  and  its  results  are  sent 
forth  in  this  permanent  form,  with  the  prayer,  that  God  would  eoploy 
the  book,  as  he  has  already  done  the  newspaper  edition,  to  rouse,  and 
teach,  and  strengthen  hia  people,  and  to  guide,  unite,  and  enooarag« 
lealoufl  Chrifltians  of  aU  classes,  in  the  great  duty  of  saving  sinnen. 

J.  L. 

Cvi) 


CONTENTS. 
LECTURE  L 

FASI 

/- 

What  A  Revivai.  OP  Rbligiok  IS .,        %     * 

LECTURE  n. 
Whkh  a  Revival  is  to  be  Expected , 22  ^ 

LECTURE  nL 
How  TO  Promote  a  REvrvAL. 85 

LECTURE  rV. 
I*REVAiLiNQ  Prater^ 48 

LECTURE  V. 
The  Prater  op  Faith 87 

LECTURE  VL 
Spirit  op  Prayer 83 

LECTURE  Vn. 
Be  Filled  WITH  the  Spirit 101 

LECTURE   VnL 
Meetings  por  Prayer 118 

LECTURE  IX. 
Means  to  be  Used  with  Sinners ,     ^84 

LECTURE  X 
To  wen  Souls  requires  Wisdom 149 

LECTURE   XL 

A.  Wise  Minister  will  be  Succbsbpul.  . . , 166 

(vii) 


VIU  C0NTBNT8. 

LECTURE  XIL 
4  How  TO  Prrach  the  Gospel 188 

LECTURE   Xm. 
How  Chukches  CAif  Help  Ministers : 218 

LECTURE  XIV. 
.1   Measurbs  TO  Promote  Revivals 388 

LECTURE   XV. 

HiNDERANCEB  TO  REVTVALS 263 

LECTURE   XVL 
Necessity  and  Effect  of  Union 294 

LECTURE   XVn. 
False  Comforts  for  Sinners 817 

LECTURE  XVin. 
Directions  to  Sinners 845 

LECTURE  XIX. 
Instructions  to  Converts 864 

LECTURE   XX. 
Instruction  of  Youno  Converts >.  882 

LECTURE  inrr, 
Backslidkrs  in  Heart 412 

lecture   xxii- 
^  Growth  nu  Graob 418 


LECTURES 


LECTURE    I. 


WHAT     A     BBYIYAL     OF     RELIGION    IB. 

T«XT.— O  Lord,  revive  thy  work  In  the  midst  of  the  years.  In  the  mldat  of  tt« 
made  known ;  In  wrath  remember  mercy.— Hab.  ill.  S. 


It  is  supposed  that  the  prophet  Habakkuk  was  contempo- 
rary with  Jeremiah,  and  that  this  prophecy  was  uttered  in  an- 
ticipation of  the  Babylonish  captivity.  Looking  at  the  judg- 
ments which  were  speedily  to  come  upon  his  nation,  the  soul 
of  the  prophet  was  wi'ought  up  to  an  agony,  and  he  cries  out 
in  his  distress,  "  O  Lord,  revive  thy  work.'*  As  if  he  had 
said,  "  O  Lord,  grant  that  thy  judgments  may  not  make  Israel 
desolate.  In  the  midst  of  these  awful  years,  let  the  judg^ 
ments  of  God  be  made  the  means  of  reviving  rehgion  among 
u&     In  wrath  remember  mercy." 

Rdigixm  is  the  ux/rk  of  man.  It  is  something  for  man  to  do. 
It  consists  in  obeying  God  with  and  from  the  heart.  It  is 
man's  duty.  It  is  true,  God  induces  him  to  do  it.  He  influ- 
ences ViiTTi  by  his  Spirit,  because  of  his  great  wickedness  and 
reluctance  to  obey.  If  it  were  not  necessary  for  God  to  in- 
fluence men — if  men  were  disposed  to  obey  God,  there  would 
be  no  occasion  to  pray,  "  O  Lord,  revive  thy  work."  The 
ground  of  necessity  for  such  a  prayer  is,  that  men  are  wholly 
indisposed  to  obey  ;  and  unless  God  interpose  the  influence 
of  his  Spirit,  not  a  man  on  earth  will  ever  obey  the  commands 
of  God. 

A  "Revival  of  Religion"  presupposes  a  declension-  Al- 
most all  the  religion  in  the  world  has  been  produced  by  revi- 
vals. God  has  found  it  necessary  to  take  advantage  of  the 
1*  (9) 


10  WHAT   1.   EEVIVAL   OF    RELIGION   18. 

excitability  there  is  in  manMiid,  to  produce  powerful  excite 
ments  among  them,  before  he  can  lead  them  to  obey.  Men 
are  so  spiritually  sluggish,  there  are  so  many  things  to  lead 
their  minds  off  fi-om  religion,  and  to  oppose  the  influence  of 
the  Gospel,  that  it  is  necessary  to  raise  an  excitement  among 
them,  till  the  tide  rises  so  high  as  to  sweep  away  the  opposing 
obstacles.  They  must  be  so  excited  that  they  wiU  break  over 
these  counteracting  influences,  before  they  will  obey  God  Not 
that  excited  feeling  is  rehgion,  for  it  is  not ;  but  it  is  excited 
desh-e,  appetite  and  feeling  that  prevents  rehgion.  The  will 
is,  in  a  sense,  enslaved  by  the  carnal  and  worldly  desires. 
Hence  it  is  necessary  to  awaken  men  to  a  sense  of  guilt  and 
danger,  and  thus  produce  an  excitement  of  counter  feeling 
and  desii-e  which  will  break  the  power  of  carnal  and  worldly 
desire  and  leave  the  wiU  free  to  obey  God. 

Look  back  at  the  history  of  the  Jews,  and  you  wiU  see  that 
God  used  to  maintain  religion  among  them  by  special  occa- 
sions, when  there  would  be  a  great  excitement,  and  people 
would  turn  to  the  Lord  And  after  they  had  been  thus  re- 
vived, it  would  be  but  a  short  time  before  there  would  be  so 
many  counteracting  influences  brought  to  bear  upon  them, 
that  rehgion  would  decline,  and  keep  on  declining,  till  God 
could  have  time — so  to  speak — to  convict  them  of  sin  by  his 
Spirit  and  rebuke  them  by  his  providence,  and  thus  so  gain 
the  attention  of  the  masses  to  the  gi-eat  subject  of  salvation, 
as  to  produce  a  mdespread  awakening  of  rehgious  interest,  and 
consequently  a  revival  of  rehgion.  Then  the  counteracting 
causes  would  again  operate,  and  rehgion  would  decline,  and 
the  nation  would  be  swept  away  in  the  vortex  of  luxury,  idol- 
atry, and  pride. 

There  is  so  httle  principle  in  the  church,  so  little  firmness 
and  stabihty  of  purpose,  that  unless  the  religious  feelings  are 
awakened  and  kept  excited,  counter  worldly  feeling  and  excite- 
ment will  prevail,  and  men  will  not  obey  God,  They  have  so 
little  knowledge,  and  their  principles  are  so  weak,  that  unless 
tliey  are  exoited,  they  wHl  go  back  from  the  path  of  duty,  and 
do  notliiiig  to  promote  the  gloiy  of  God.  The  state  of  the 
world  is  stiU  such,  and  probably  will  be  till  the  millennium  is 
fully  come,  that  rehgion  must  be  mainly  promoted  by  means 
of  revivi\ls.  How  long  and  how  often  has  the  experiment 
been  tried,  to  bring  the  church  to  act  steadily  for  God,  with- 
out these  periodical  excitements.  Many  good  men  have  sup- 
posed, and  still  suppose,  that  the  best  way  to  promote  reli- 
gion, is  to  go  along  uniformly,  and  gather  in  the  ungodly  gra^, 
aally,  and  without  excitement    But  however  sound  such  rea 


WHAT   A    REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION    18.  11 

Boning  may  appear  in  the  abstract, /oofe  demonstrate  its  futili-  4* 
fcy.  If  the  church  were  far  enough  advanced  in  knowledge, 
and  had  stability  of  principle  enough  to  keep  awake,  such  a 
course  would  do  ;  but  the  church  is  so  httle  enlightened,  and 
there  are  so  many  counteracting  causes,  that  she  will  not  go 
steadily  to  work  wathout  a  special  interest  being  awakened.  As 
the  millennium  advances,  it  is  probable  that  these  periodical 
excitements  wdU  be  unknown.  Then  the  church  will  be  en- 
lightened, and  the  counteracting  causes  removed,  and  the  en- 
tire chiu-ch  will  be  in  a  state  of  habitual  and  steady  obedi- 
ence to  God.  The  entire  church  will  stand  and  take  the  in- 
fant mind,  and  cultivate  it  for  God.  Children  will  be  trained 
up  in  the  way  they  should  go,  and  there  will  be  no  such  tor- 
rents of  worldliness,  and  fashion,  and  covetousness,  to  bear 
away  the  piety  of  the  church,  as  soon  as  the  excitement  of  a 
revival  is  withdi-awn. 

It  is  very  desirable  it  should  be  so.  It  is  very  desirable  that 
the  church  should  go  on  steadily  in  a  course  of  obedience 
without  these  excitements.  Such  excitements  are  liable  to  in- 
jure the  health.  Oiu"  nervous  system  is  so  strung  that  any 
powerful  excitement,  if  long  continued,  injures  our  health  and 
unfits  us  for  duty.  If  rehgion  is  ever  to  have  a  pei-vading  in- 
fluence in  the  world,  it  cannot  be  so  ;  this  spasmodic  rehgion 
must  be  done  away.  Then  it  will  be  uncalled  for.  Chris- 
tians wiU  not  sleep  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  and  once  in 
a  while  wake  up,  and  rub  their  eyes,  and  bluster  about,  and 
vociferate  a  little  while,  and  then  go  to  sleep  again.  Then 
there  will  be  no  need  that  ministers  should  wear  themselves 
out,  and  kill  themselves,  by  their  efforts  to  roll  back  the  flood 
of  worldly  influence  that  sets  in  upon  the  church.  But  as 
yet  the  state  of  the  Christian  world  is  such,  that  to  expect  to 
promote  religion  without  excitements  is  unphilosophical  and 
absurd-  The  great  pohtical,  and  other  worldly  excitements 
that  agitate  Chi'istendom,  are  all  unfriendly  to  rehgion,  and 
divert  the  mind  from  the  interests  of  the  soul.  Now  these 
excitements  can  only  be  counteracted  by  religious  excitements,  j^ 
And  until  there  is  religious  principle  in  the  world  to  put  down 
irrehgious  excitements,  it  is  vain  to  try  to  promote  rehgion, 
except  by  counteracting  excitements.  This  is  tme  in  philos- 
ophy, and  it  is  a  historical  fact. 

It  is  altogether  improbable  that  religion  will  ever  make  pro- 
gress among  heathen  nations  except  through  the  influence  of 
revivals.  The  attempt  is  now  making  to  do  it  by  education, 
and  other  cautious  and  gradual  improvements.  But  so  long 
M  the  laws  of  mind  remain  what  they  are,  it  cannot  be  done 


H  WHAT   A    REVIVAL   OF    RELIGION    IS. 

in  this  way.  There  must  be  excitement  sufficient  to  wake  up 
the  dormant  moral  powers,  and  roll  back  the  tide  of  degrada- 
tion and  sin.  And  precisely  so  far  as  our  own  land  approxi- 
mates to  heathenism,  it  is  impossible  for  God  or  man  to  pro- 
mote rehgion  ia  such  a  state  of  things  but  by  powerful  ex- 
citements. This  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  this  has  always 
been  the  way  in  which  God  has  done  ii  God  does  not  cre- 
ate these  excitements,  and  choose  this  method  to  promote  re- 
hgion for  nothing  or  without  reason.  Where  mankind  are  so 
reluctant  to  obey  God,  they  will  not  act  until  they  are  excited. 
For  instance,  how  many  there  are  who  know  that  they  ought 
to  be  rehgious,  but  they  are  afraid  if  they  become  pious  they 
shall  be  laughed  at  by  their  companions.  Many  are  wedded 
to  idols,  others  are  procrastinating  repentance,  until  they  are 
settled  in  life,  or  until  they  have  secured  some  favorite  world- 
ly interest  Such  persons  will  never  give  up  their  false  shame, 
or  relinquish  their  ambitious  schemes,  till  they  are  so  excited 
by  a  sense  of  guilt  and  danger  that  they  cannot  contain  them- 
selves any  longer. 

These  remarks  are  designed  only  as  an  introduction  to  the 
discourse.   I  shaU  now  proceed  with  the  main  design,  to  show, 
L  What  a  revival  of  religion  is  not ; 
n.  What  it  is  ;  and, 
ITT,  The  agencies  employed  in  promoting  it 

L      A   REVIVAL   OF   RELIGION   IS   NOT   A   MIRAOLE. 

1.  A  miracle  has  been  generally  defined  to  be,  a  Divine  in 
terfereDce,  setting  aside  or  suspending  the  laws  of  natura  It 
is  not  a  miracle  in  this  sense.  All  the  laws  of  matter  and 
mind  remain  in  forca  They  are  neither  suspended  nor  set 
ftside  in  a  revival 

2.  It  is  not  a  miracle  according  to  another  definition  of  the 
term  miracle — something  above  the  powers  of  nature.  There  is 
nothing  in  rehgion  beyond  the  ordinary  powers  of  nature.  It 
consists  entirely  in  the  right  exercise  of  the  powers  of  nature. 
It  is  just  that,  and  nothing  else.  When  mankind  become  re- 
ligious, they  are  not  enabled  to  put  forth  exertions  which  they 
were  unable  before  to  put  forth.  They  only  exert  the  powers 
they  had  before  in  a  different  way,  and  use  them  for  the  glory 
of  Gt)d. 

3.  It  is  not  a  miracle,  or  dependent  on  a  mirade,  in  any 
sense.  It  is  a  purely  philosophical  result  of  the  right  use  of 
the  constituted  means — as  much  so  as  any  other  effect  produced 
by  the  apphcation  of  means.     There  may  be  a  miracle  among 


WHAT    A    RKVIVAL   OP    BKLIGION   lA.  IS 

He  antecedent  causes,  or  there  may  not  The  apostles  emr 
ployed  miracles,  simply  as  means  by  which  they  arrested  at- 
tention to  their  message,  and  established  its  divine  authority 
But  the  miracle  was  not  the  revived.  The  miracle  was  one 
thing  ;  the  revival  that  followed  it  was  quite  another  thing. 
The  revivals  in  tlie  apostles'  days  were  connected  with  mira- 
cles, but  they  were  not  miraclea 

I  said  that  a  revival  is  the  result  of  the  right  use  of  the  ap- 
propriate means.  The  means  which  God  has  enjoined  for 
the  production  of  a  revival,  doubtless  have  a  natural  tendency 
to  produce  a  revival  Otherwise  God  would  not  have  enjoin- 
ed them.  But  means  will  not  produce  a  revival,  we  aU  know, 
without  the  blessing  of  God.  No  more  will  grain,  when  it  is 
sowed,  produce  a  crop  without  the  blessing  of  God-  It  is  im- 
possible for  us  to  say  that  there  is  not  as  direct  an  mfiuence 
or  agency  from  God,  to  produce  a  crop  of  grain,  as  there  is 
to  produce  a  revival.  What  are  the  laws  of  nature  according 
to  which  it  is  supposed  that  grain  yields  a  crop  ?  They  are 
nothing  but  the  constituted  manner  of  the  operations  of  God. 
In  the  Bible,  the  word  of  God  is  compai*ed  to  grain,  and 
preaching  is  compared  to  sowing  seed,  and  the  results  to  the 
springing  up  and  growth  of  the  crop.  And  the  result  is  just 
as  philosophical  in  the  one  case,  as  in  the  other,  and  is  as  nat- 
urally connected  with  the  cause  ;  or,  more  correctly,  a  revival  is 
as  natm-ally  a  result  of  the  use  of  the  appropriate  means  as  a 
crop  is  of  the  use  of  its  appropriate  means.  It  is  true  that 
religion  does  not  properly  belong  to  the  category  of  cause  and 
effect ;  but  although  it  is  not  caused  by  means,  yet  it  has  its 
occasion,  and  may  as  naturally  and  certainly  result  fi*om  its 
occasion  as  a  crop  does  from  its  cause. 

I  wish  this  idea  to  be  impressed  on  all  your  minds,  for  there 
has  long  been  an  idea  prevalent  that  promoting  religion  has 
something  very  pecuhar  in  it,  not  to  be  judged  of  by  the  or- 
dinary rules  of  cause  and  effect ;  in  shoi*t,  that  there  is  no 
connection  of  the  means  with  the  result,  and  no  tendency  in 
the  means  to  produce  the  effect  No  doctrme  is  more  dan- 
gerous than  this  to  the  prosperity  of  the  church,  and  nothing 
more  absurd 

Supix)se  a  man  were  to  go  and  preach  this  doctrine  among 
fckrmei*s,  about  their  sowing  grain.  Let  him  tell  them  that 
God  is  a  sovereign,  and  will  give  them  a  crop  only  when  it 
pleases  him,  and  that  for  them  to  plow  and  plant  and  labor 
as  if  they  expected  to  raise  a  crop  is  very  wrong,  and  taking 
the  work  out  of  the  hands  of  God,  that  it  interferes  with  his 
sovereignty,  and  is  going  on  in  their  own  sti'ensrtJi  :  and  that 


l4  WHAT   A    REVIVAL    OF    BELIGION    IB. 

there  is  no  connection  between  the  means  and  the  result  on 
wliich  they  can  depend  And  now,  suppose  the  farmers 
should  believe  such  doctrine.  Why,  they  would  starve  the 
world  to  death. 

Just  such  results  will  follow  from  the  church's  being  per- 
suaded that  promoting  religion  is  somehow  so  mysteiiously  a 
subject  of  Divine  sovereignty,  that  there  is  no  natural  con- 
nection between  the  means  and  the  end.  What  are  the  re- 
sults ?  Why,  generation  after  generation  has  gone  down  to 
hell.  No  doubt  more  than  five  thousand  millions  have  gone 
down  to  heU,  while  the  church  has  been  dreaming,  and  wait 
ing  for  God  to  save  them  without  the  use  of  means.  It  has 
been  the  devil's  most  successful  means  of  destroying  souls. 
The  connection  is  as  clear  in  religion  as  it  is  when  the  farmer 
sows  his  grain. 

There  is  one  fact  under  the  government  of  God,  worthy  of 
universal  notice,  and  of  everlasting  remembrance  ;  which  is, 
that  the  most  useful  and  important  things  are  most  easily  and 
certainly  obtained  by  the  use  of  the  appropriate  means.  This 
is  evidently  a  piinciple  in  the  Divine  administration.  Hence, 
aU  the  necessaries  of  hfe  are  obtained  with  great  certainty  hj 
the  use  of  the  simplest  means.  The  luxuries  are  more  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  ;  the  means  to  prociu-e  them  are  more  intricate 
and  less  certain  in  their  results  ;  while  things  absolutely  hurt- 
ful and  poisonous,  such  as  alcohol  and  the  hke,  are  often  ob- 
tained only  by  torturing  nature,  and  making  use  of  a  kind  of 
infernal  sorcery  to  procure  the  death-dealing  abomination. 
This  principle  holds  true  in  moral  government,  and  as  spirit- 
ual blessings  are  of  surpassing  importance,  we  should  expect 
their  attainment  to  be  connected  with  great  certainty  with  the 
use  of  the  appropriate  means  ;  and  such  we  find  to  be  the  fact; 
and  I  fuUy  beheve  that  could  facts  be  known,  it  would  be  found 
that  when  the  appointed  means  have  been  rightly  used,  spirit 
ual  blessings  have  been  obtained  with  gi-eater  uniformity  thai- 
temporal  ones. 

n.       I   AM   TO   SHOW   WHAT   A   REVIVAL   IS. 

It  is  the  renewal  of  the  fii'st  love  of  Christians,  resulting  in 
the  awakening  and  conversion  of  sinners  to  God.  In  the  pop- 
ular sense,  a  revival  of  religion  in  a  community  is  the  arous- 
ing, quickening,  and  reclaimiQg  of  the  more  or  less  backslid- 
den church  and  the  more  or  less  genei'al  awakening  of  aD 
classes,  and  insuring  attention  to  the  claims  of  God. 

It  presupposes  thai  the  church  is  sunk  down  in  a  backslid 


WHAT   A    REVIVAL    OF    EKLIGION    18.  15 

den  state,  and  a  revival  consists  in  the  return  of  a  church  from 
her  baoksHdings,  and  in  the  cou version  of  sinners. 

1.  A  revival  always  includes  conviction  of  sin  on  the  part 
of  the  church.  Backshdden  professors  cannot  wake  up  and 
begin  rii>ht  away  in  the  service  of  God,  without  deep  seai'ch- 
ings  of  heart  The  foim tains  of  sin  need  to  be  broken  up. 
In  a  true  revival.  Christians  are  always  brought  under  such 
convictions  ;  they  see  then-  sins  in  such  a  light,  that  often  they 
find  it  impossible  to  mfiintain  a  hope  of  theh  acceptance  with 
God.  It  does  not  always  go  to  that  extent ;  but  iherc  are  al- 
ways, in  a  genuine  revival,  deep  convictions  of  sin,  and  often 
cases  of  abandoning  all  hope. 

2.  Backshdden  Christians  wlQ  be  brought  to  repentanca 
A  revival  is  notliing  else  than  a  new  beginning  of  obedience 
to  GocL  Just  as  in  the  case  of  a  converted  sinner,  the  first 
/;tep  is  a  deep  repentance,  a  breaking  down  of  heart,  a  getting 
iown  into  the  dust  before  God,  with  deep  humihty,  and  for 
Baking  of  sltl 

3.  Christians  will  have  their  faith  renewed-  While  they 
are  in  their  backslidden  state  they  are  blind  to  the  state  of  sin- 
jiers.  Theii'  hearts  are  as  hard  as  marble.  The  truths  of  the 
Bible  only  appear  like  a  dream.  They  admit  it  to  be  aU  true; 
their  conscience  and  their  judgment  assent  to  it ;  but  their 
feith  does  not  see  it  standing  out  in  bold  rehef,  in  all  the 
burning  reahties  of  eternity.  But  when  they  enter  into  a  re- 
vival, they  no  longer  see  men  as  ti'ees  wallang,  but  they  see 
things  in  that  strong  hght  which  will  renew  the  love  of  God 
in  their  heai-ts.  This  will  lead  them  to  labor  zealously  tc 
bring  others  to  him.  They  will  feel  giieved  that  others  do 
not  love  God,  when  they  love  him  so  much.  And  they  will 
set  themselves  feelingly  to  persuade  their  neighbors  to  give 
him  their  hearts.  So  their  love  to  men  will  be  renewed  They 
wiU  be  filled  with  a  tender  and  burning  love  for  souls.  They 
will  have  a  longing  desire  for  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world. 
They  will  be  in  an  agony  for  individuals  whom  they  want  to  have 
saved — their  friends,  relations,  enemies.  They  will  not  onlj 
be  urging  them  to  give  their  heai-ts  to  God,  but  they  wiU  carry 
them  to  God  in  the  arms  of  faith,  and  with  strong  ciying  and 
tears  beseech  God  to  have  mercy  on  them,  and  save  their  souls 
from  endless  burnings. 

4.  A  revival  breaks  the  power  of  the  world  and  of  sin  ovei 
Cliristians.  It  brings  them  to  such  vantage  ground  that  they 
get  a  fresh  impulse  towards  heaven.  They  have  a  new  fore- 
taste of  heaven,  and  new  desires  after  union  with  God  ;  and 
the  charm  of  the  w  orld  is  broken,  and  f"    power  of  sin  overcome 


1*  WHAT    A    REVIVAL    OF   RELIGION   I». 

ti.  When  the  churches  are  thus  awakened  and  reformed, 
the  reformation  and  salvation  of  sinners  will  follow,  going 
through  the  same  stages  of  conviction,  repentance,  and  retor- 
mation.  Their  hearts  will  be  broken  down  and  changed. 
Very  often  the  most  abandoned  profligates  are  among  the 
subjects.  Harlots,  and  drunkards,  and  infidels,  and  all  sorts 
of  abandoned  characters,  are  awakened  and  converted-  The 
worst  among  human  beings  are  softened,  and  reclaimed,  and 
made  to  appear  as  lovely  specimens  of  the  beauty  of  holiness. 

HL      I   AM   TO   CONSIDEB   THE   AGENCIES    E3MPL0YKD   IN    GABBlINa 
FORWARD   A   REVIVAL   OF   RELIGION. 

Ordinarily,  there  are  three  agents  employed  in  the  work  of 
conversion,  and  one  instrument  The  agents  are  God, — some 
person  who  brings  the  truth  to  bear  on  the  mind, — and  the 
sinner  himself.  The  instrument  is  the  truth.  There  are  air 
ways  two  agents,  God  and  the  sinner,  employed  and  active  in 
every  case  of  genuine  conversion. 

1.  The  agency  of  God  is  two-fold;  by  his  Providence  and 
by  his  Spirit 

(1.)  By  his  providential  government,  he  so  arranges  events 
as  to  bring  the  sinner's  mind  and  the  truth  in  contact  He 
brings  the  sumer  where  the  truth  reaches  his  ears  or  his  eyes. 
It  is  often  interesting  to  trace  the  maimer  in  which  God  ar- 
ranges events  so  as  to  bring  this  about,  and  how  he  some- 
times makes  every  thing  seem  to  favor  a  revival  The  state 
of  the  weather,  and  of  the  pubhc  health,  and  other  circum- 
stances concur  to  make  every  thing  just  right  to  favor  the  ap 
pUcation  of  truth  with  the  greatest  possible  efficacy.  How 
he  sometimes  sends  a  minister  along,  just  at  the  tune  he  is 
wanted  I  How  he  brings  out  a  particular  truth,  just  at  the 
particular  time  when  the  individual  it  is  fitted  to  reach  is  in 
the  way  to  hear ! 

(2.)  God's  special  agency  by  his  Holy  Spirit  Having  di- 
rect access  to  the  mind,  and  knowing  infinitely  well  the  whole 
history  and  state  of  each  individual  sinner,  he  employs  that 
truth  which  is  best  adapted  to  his  particular  case,  and  then 
sets  it  home  with  Divine  power.  He  gives  it  such  vividness, 
strength,  and  power,  that  the  sinner  quails,  and  throws  down 
his  weapons  of  rebellion,  and  turns  to  the  Lord.  Under  hia 
influence,  the  truth  bums  and  cuts  its  way  like  fire.  He  makes 
the  truth  stand  out  in  such  aspects,  that  it  crushes  the  proud- 
est man  down  with  the  weight  of  a  mountain.  If  naen  wero 
sUsposed  to  obey  God,  the  truth  is  given  with  sofficaent  de«^ 


WHAT   A    REVIVAL   OP   EBLIGIOlf  Ifl.  IT 

ness  in  the  Bible  ;  and  from  preaching  they  could  leam  all 
that  is  necessary  for  them  to  know.  But  because  they  are 
wholly  disinclined  to  obey  it,  God  clears  it  up  before  their 
miTidflj  and  pours  in  a  blaze  of  convincing  hght  upon  their 
souls,  which  they  cannot  withstand,  and  they  yield  to  it,  and 
obey  God,  and  are  saved. 

2.  The  agency  of  men  is  commonly  employed.  Men  are 
not  mere  instruments  in  the  hands  of  God-  Truth  is  the  in- 
Btrument  The  preacher  is  a  moral  agent  in  the  work  ;  he 
acts  ;  he  is  not  a  mere  passive  instrument ;  he  is  voluntary  in 
promoting  the  conversion  of  sinnera 

3.  The  agency  of  the  sinner  himself.  The  conversion  of  a 
sinner  consists  in  his  obeying  the  truth.  It  is  therefore  im- 
possible it  should  take  place  without  his  agency,  for  it  consists 
m  his  acting  right  He  is  influenced  to  this  by  the  agency  of 
God,  and  by  the  agency  of  men-  Men  act  on  their  fellow-men, 
not  only  by  language,  but  by  their  looks,  their  tears,  their  daily 
deportment.  See  that  impenitent  man  there,  who  has  a  pious 
wife.  Her  very  looks,  her  tenderness,  her  solemn,  compassion- 
ate dignity,  softened  and  moulded  into  the  image  of  Christ  are 

germon  to  him  all  the  tima    He  has  to  turn  his  mind  away, 

2ause  it  is  such  a  reproach  to  him.    He  feels  a  sermon  ring- 
jg  in  his  ears  all  day  long. 

Mankind  are  accustomed  to  read  the  countenances  of  their 
neighbors.  Sinners  often  read  the  state  of  a  Christian's  mind 
in  his  eyes.  If  his  eyes  are  full  of  levity,  or  worldly  anxiety 
%nd  contrivance,  sinners  read  it  If  they  are  full  of  the  Spint 
of  God,  sumers  read  it ;  and  they  are  often  led  to  conviction 
by  barely  seeing  the  countenance  of  Christians. 

An  individual  once  went  into  a  manufactory  to  see  the  ma- 
chinery. His  mind  was  solemn,  as  he  had  been  where  there 
was  a  revival  The  people  who  labored  there  all  knew  him 
D)  sight,  and  knew  who  he  waa  A  young  lady  who  was  at 
work  saw  him,  and  whispered  some  foolish  remark  to  her  com 
panion,  and  laughed.  The  person  stopped  and  looked  at  her 
with  a  feeling  of  grief  She  stopped,  her  thread  broke,  and 
she  was  so  much  agitated  she  could  not  join  it  She  looked 
out  at  the  window  to  compose  herself,  and  then  tried  again  ; 
again  and  again  she  strove  to  recover  her  self-command.  At 
length  she  sat  down,  overcome  with  her  feelings.  The  person 
then  approached  and  spoke  with  her  ;  she  soon  manifested  a 
deep  sense  of  sin-  The  feeling  spread  through  the  establish- 
ment like  fire,  and  in  a  few  hours  almost  every  person  em- 
ployed there  was  under  conviction,  so  much  so,  that  the 
owner,  though  c-  worldly  man,  was  astounded,  and  requested 


18  WHAT    A   BEVrVAL   OF    RELIGION    IS. 

to  have  ihe  works  stop  and  have  a  prayer  meeting ;  for  h« 
said  it  was  a  great  deal  more  important  to  have  these  people 
cx)nverted  than  to  have  the  works  go  on.  And  ii?  a  few  days, 
the  owner  and  nearly  every  person  employed  in  the  estabhsh- 
ment  were  hopefully  converted.  The  eye  of  this  individual, 
his  solemn  countenance,  his  compassionate  feeling,  rebuked 
the  levity  of  the  young  woman,  and  brought  her  under  con- 
viction of  sin  :  and  this  whole  revival  followed,  probably  in  a 
great  measure,  from  so  small  an  incident. 

If  Chiistians  have  deep  feeling  on  the  subject  of  religion 
themselves,  they  will  produce  deep  feeling  wherever  they  go. 
And  if  they  are  cold,  or  light  and  trifling,  they  inevitably  de- 
stroy all  deep  feehng,  even  in  awakened  sinners. 

I  knew  a  case,  once,  of  an  individual  who  was  very  anxious, 
but  one  day  I  was  giieved  to  find  that  her  convictions  seemed 
to  be  all  gone.  I  asked  her  what  she  had  been  doing.  She 
told  me  she  had  been  spending  the  afternoon  at  such  a  place, 
among  some  professors  of  religion,  not  thinking  that  it  woul J 
dissipate  her  convictions  to  spend  an  afternoon  with  profess- 
ors of  rehgion.  But  they  were  trifling  and  vain,  and  thus 
her  convictions  were  lost.  And  no  doubt  those  professors  ol 
rehgion,  by  their  folly,  destroyed  a  soul,  for  her  convictions 
did  not  return. 

The  church  is  required  to  use  the  means  for  the  conversion 
of  sinners.  Sinners  cannot  properly  be  said  to  use  the  means 
for  their  own  conversion.  The  church  uses  the  means.  What 
sinners  do  is  to  submit  to  the  truth,  or  to  resist  it.  It  is  a 
mistake  of  suiners,  to  think  they  are  using  means  for  their 
own  conversion.  The  whole  drift  of  a  revival,  and  every  thing 
about  it,  is  designed  to  present  the  truth  to  your  mind,  for 
your  obedience  or  resistance. 

REMARKS. 

1.  Revivals  were  formerly  regarded  as  miracles.  And  it 
has  been  so  by  some  even  in  our  day.  And  others  have  ideas 
on  the  subject  so  loose  and  unsatisfactory,  that  if  they  would 
only  think,  they  would  see  their  absurdity.  For  a  long  time, 
it  was  supposed  by  the  church,  that  a  revival  was  a  miracle, 
an  interposition  of  Divine  power  which  they  had  nothing  to 
do  with,  and  which  they  had  no  more  agency  in  producing, 
than  they  had  in  produciug  thunder,  or  a  storm  of  hail,  or 
an  earthquake.  It  is  only  withiu  a  few  years  that  ministers 
generally  have  supposed  revivals  were  to  be  promoted,  by  the 
use  of  means  designed  and  adapted  specially  to  that  object 


WHAT   A   BEVIVAL    OP   RELIGION   18.  It 

Ejven  in  New  England,  it  has  been  supposed  that  revivals  came 
just  as  shov^ers  do,  sometimes  in  one  town,  and  sometimes  in 
another,  and  that  ministers  and  churches  could  do  nothing 
more  to  produce  them  than  they  could  to  make  showers  of 
rain  come  on  their  own  town, when  they  were  falling  on  a  neigh- 
boring town. 

It  used  to  be  supposed  that  a  revival  would  come  about 
once  in  fifteen  years,  and  aU  would  be  converted  that  God  in- 
tended to  save,  and  then  they  must  wait  until  another  crop 
came  forward  on  the  stage  of  hfe.  Finally,  the  time  got  short- 
ened down  to  five  years,  and  they  supposed  there  might  be  a 
revival  about  as  often  as  that. 

I  have  heard  a  fact  in  relation  to  one  of  these  pastors,  who 
supposed  re^vals  might  come  about  once  in  five  years.  There 
had  been  a  revival  in  his  congregation.  The  next  year,  there 
was  a  revival  in  a  neighboiing  tovni,  and  he  went  there  to 
preach,  and  staid  several  days,  till  he  got  his  soul  aU  engaged 
in  the  work.  He  returned  home  on  Saturday,  and  went  into 
his  study  to  prepare  for  the  Sabbatk  And  his  soul  was  in  an 
agony.  He  thought  how  many  adult  persons  there  were  in 
bis  congregation  at  enmity  with  God — so  many  still  unconvei> 
ted — so  many  persons  die  yearly — such  a  portion  of  them  un- 
converted— if  a  revival  does  not  come  under  five  years,  so 
many  adult  heads  of  families  will  be  in  helL  He  put  down 
his  calculations  on  paper,  and  embodied  them  in  his  sermon 
for  the  next  day,  with  his  heart  bleeding  at  the  dreadful  pic- 
ture. As  I  understood  it,  he  did  not  do  this  with  any  expec- 
tation of  a  revival,  but  he  felt  deeply,  and  poured  out  his  heart 
to  his  people.  And  that  sermon  awakened/oTYy  heads  offamr 
Hies,  and  a  powerful  revival  followed  ;  and  so  his  theory  about 
a  revival  once  in  five  years  was  all  exploded. 

Thus  God  has  overthrown,  generally,  the  theory  that  revi 
Tsls  are  miracles. 

2.  IVIistaken  notions  concerning  the  sovereignty  of  God  havf 
greatly  hindered  revivala 

Many  people  have  supposed  God's  sovereignty  to  be  some 
thing  very  difierent  from  what  it  is.  They  have  supposed  it  \a 
be  such  an  arbitrary  disposal  of  events,  and  particularly  oJ 
the  gift  of  his  Spirit,  as  precluded  a  rational  employment  ol 
means  for  promoting  a  revival  of  religion.  But  there  is  no 
evidence  from  the  Bible  that  God  exercises  any  such  sover- 
eignty as  that  There  are  no  facts  to  prove  it  But  everr 
thing  goes  to  show  that  God  has  connected  means  with  tht 
end  through  all  the  departments  of  his  government — in  nature 
ftnd  in  srrace.     There  is  no  naivrcd  event  in  which  his  owb 


80  WHAT   A   RUVTVAL    OP    RKLICLON    IS. 

agency  is  not  concerned.  He  Has  not  built  the  creation  liki 
a  vast  machine  that  will  go  on  alone  without  his  further  care. 
He  has  not  retired  from  the  universe,  to  let  it  work  for  itself 
This  is  mere  atheism.  He  exercises  a  universal  superintend- 
ence and  control  And  yet  every  event  in  nature  has  been 
brought  about  by  means.  He  neither  administers  providence 
nor  grace  with  that  sort  of  sovereignty  that  dispenses  with 
the  use  of  means.  There  is  no  more  sovereignty  in  one  than 
in  the  other. 

And  yet  some  people  are  terribly  alarmed  at  all  direct  efforts 
to  promote  a  revival,  and  they  cry  out,  "  You  are  trying  to 
get  up  a  revival  in  your  own  strength.  Take  care,  you  are  in- 
terfering with  the  sovereignty  of  God.  Bettor  keep  along  in 
the  usual  com*se,  and  let  God  give  a  revival  when  he  thinks  it 
is  best  God  is  a  sovereign,  and  it  is  very  wrong  for  you  to 
attempt  to  get  up  a  revival,  just  because  you  think  a  revival  is 
needed."  This  is  just  such  preaching  as  the  devil  wants.  And 
men  cannot  do  the  devil's  work  more  effectually  than  by 
preaching  up  the  sovereignty  of  God,  as  a  reason  why  we 
should  not  put  forth  efforts  to  produce  a  revival. 

3.  You  see  the  error  of  those  who  are  beginning  to  think 
vtiat  rehgion  can  be  better  promoted  in  the  world  without  re- 
"» ' vals,  and  who  are  disposed  to  give  up  all  efforts  to  produce 
rehgious  awakenings.  Because  there  are  evils  arising  in  some 
instances  out  of  great  excitements  on  the  subject  of  rehgion, 
they  are  of  opinion  that  it  is  best  to  dispense  with  them  alto- 
getJier.  This  cannot,  and  must  not  be.  True,  there  is  dan- 
ger of  abuses.  In  cases  of  great  religKms  as  weU  as  all  other 
excitements,  more  or  less  incidental  evils  may  be  expected  of 
course.  But  this  is  no  reason  why  they  should  be  given  up. 
The  best  things  are  always  hable  to  abuses.  Great  and  man- 
ifold evils  have  originated  in  the  providential  and  moral  gov- 
ernments of  God.  But  these  foreseen  perversions  and  evilf 
were  not  considered  a  sufficient  reason  for  giving  them  up. 
For  the  estabhshment  of  these  governments  was  on  the  whole 
the  best  that  could  be  done  for  the  production  of  the  greatest 
amount  of  happinesa  So  in  revivals  of  rehgion,  it  is  found 
by  ex^jerience,  that  in  the  present  state  of  the  world,  religion 
cannot  be  promoted  to  any  considerable  extent  without  them. 
The  evils  which  are  sometimes  complained  of,  when  they  are 
real,  are  incidental,  and  of  small  importance  when  compared 
with  the  amount  of  good  produced  by  revivals.  The  senti- 
ment should  not  be  admitted  by  the  church  for  a  moment, 
that  revivals  may  be  given  up.  It  is  fraught  with  aU  that  is 
dangerous  to  the  interests  of  Zion,  is  death  to  the  cause  of 


•WHAT    A    RKTTVAL    OF   RELIGION    IS.  tl 

missionfl,   and  brings  in   its  ti'ain  the    damnation   of    the 
world. 

Finally.— I  have  a  proposal  to  make  to  you  who  are  here 
present.  I  have  not  commenced  this  course  of  Lectures  on 
Revivals  to  get  up  a  curious  theory  of  my  own  on  the  s\il> 
ject  I  would  not  spend  my  time  and  strength  merely  to 
give  you  instructions,  to  gratiiy  your  curiosity,  and  furnish 
you  something  to  talk  about  I  have  no  idea  of  preaching 
tibovt  revivals.  It  is  not  my  design  to  preach  so  as  to  have 
you  able  to  say  at  the  close,  "We  understand  all  about  revi- 
vals now,"  while  you  do  nothing.  But  I  wish  to  ask  you  a 
question.  "What  do  you  hear  lectures  on  revivals  for  ?  Do 
you  mean  that  whenever  you  are  convinced  what  your  duty 
is  in  promoting  a  revival,  you  will  go  to  work  and  practise  it  ? 

Will  you  follow  the  instructions  I  shall  give  you  from  the 
Word  of  God,  and  put  them  in  practise  in  your  own  hves  ? 
Will  you  bring  them  to  bear  upon  your  famihes,  your  acquain 
tance,  neighbors,  and  through  the  city  ?  Or  will  you  spend 
the  winter  in  learning  aboiU  revivals,  and  do  nothing /or  them  ? 
I  want  you,  as  fast  as  you  learn  any  thing  on  the  subject  of 
revivals,  to  put  it  in  practice,  and  go  to  work  and  see  if  you 
cannot  promote  a  revival  among  sinners  here.  If  you  will 
not  do  this,  I  wish  you  to  let  me  know  at  the  beginning,  so 
that  I  need  not  waste  my  strength.  You  ought  to  decide  nmv 
whether  you  wiU  do  this  or  not  You  know  that  we  call  sin- 
ners to  decide  on  the  spot  whether  they  will  obey  the  Gospel 
And  we  have  no  more  authority  to  let  you  take  time  to  dehb- 
erate  whether  you  will  obey  God,  than  we  have  to  let  sinners 
do  so.  We  call  on  you  to  unite  now  in  a  solemn  pledge  to 
God,  that  you  will  do  your  duty  as  fast  as  you  learn  what  it 
is,  and  to  pray  that  He  will  pour  out  his  Spirit  upon  this  church 
abd  i^)on  all  the  city  this  winter. 


LECTURE    II. 

WHEN   A   REVIVAL   IS   TO   BE   EXPECTED. 

•Tbxt.— Wilt  thou  Dot  revive  us  again;  that  thy  people  may  rejoice   n  the*.  -> 
PtALK  Ixixv.  6. 

This  Psalm  seems  to  have  been  written  soon  after  the  re- 
turn of  the  people  of  Israel  from  the  Babylonish  captivity ; 
as  you  will  easily  see  from  the  language  at  the  commence- 
ment of  it.  The  Psalmist  felt  that  God  had  been  very  fa- 
vorable to  the  people,  and  while  contemplating  the  goodness 
of  the  Lord  in  bringing  them  back  from  the  land  where  they 
had  been  carried  away  captive,  and  while  looking  at  the  pros- 
pects before  them,  he  breaks  out  into  a  prayer  for  a  Revival 
of  Religion.  "  Wilt  thou  not  revive  us  again,  that  thy  peo- 
ple may  rejoice  in  thee  ?  "  Since  God  in  his  providence  had 
re-estabhshed  the  ordinances  of  his  house  among  them,  he 
prays  that  there  may  be  also  a  revival  of  religion,  to  crown 
the  work. 

Last  Friday  evening  I  attempted  to  show  what  a  Revival  of 
Religion  is  not ;  what  a  Revival  is  ;  and  the  agencies  to  be 
employed  in  promoting  it.  The  topics  to  which  I  wish  to  call 
your  attention  to-nigh^  are, 

L  When  a  Revival  of  Religion  is  needed- 
XL  The  importance  of  a  Revival  when  it  is  needed. 

IIL  When  a  Revival  of  Rehgion  may  be  expected. 

L       WHEN   IS   A   REVIVAIi   OP   RELIGION   NEEDED? 

1.  When  there  is  a  want  of  brotherly  love  and  Christian 
confidence  among  professors  of  rehgion,  then  a  revival  is  needr 
ed.  Then  there  is  a  loud  call  for  God  to  revive  his  worL 
When  Christians  have  sunk  dovni  into  a  low  and  backshdden 
state,  they  neither  have,  nor  ought  to  have,  nor  is  there  rea- 
son to  have,  the  same  love  and  confidence  toward  each  ether, 
as  when  they  are  aU  ahve,  and  active,  and  living  holy  lives 
The  love  of  benevolence  may  be  the  same,  but  not  the  love  of 
complacency.  God  loves  all  men  wdth  the  love  of  benevo- 
lence, but  he  does  not  feel  the  love  of  complacency  toward 
any  but  those  who  Hve  holy.  Christians  do  not  and  cannot 
love  each  other  with  the  love  of  complacency,  only  in  pro\)or 


WHIN   A    BKVIVAL   IB   TO    BK    EXPECTED.  tS 

fcion  to  their  holiness.  If  Christian  love  is  the  love  of  the  im- 
age of  Christ  in  his  people,  then  it  never  can  be  exercised  only 
where  that  image  really  or  apparently  exists.  A  person  must 
reflect  the  image  of  Christ,  and  show  the  spirit  of  Christ,  be- 
fore other  Christians  can  love  him  with  the  love  of  complacen- 
cy. It  is  in  vain  to  call  on  Christians  to  love  one  another  with 
the  love  of  complacency,  as  Christians,  when  they  are  sunk 
do^vn  in  stupidity.  They  see  nothing  iu  each  other  to  produce 
VLis  love.  It  is  next  to  impossible  that  they  should  feel  other 
wise  toward  each  other,  than  they  do  toward  sinners.  Merely 
knowing  that  they  beiung  to  the  church,  or  seeuig  them  occa- 
sionally at  the  commimion  table,  will  not  produce  Christian 
love,  unless  they  see  the  image  of  Christ 

*i.  When  there  are  dissensions,  and  jealousies,  and  evil 
speakings  among  professors  of  religion,  then  there  is  great 
need  of  a  revival  These  things  show  that  Christians  have 
got  far  from  God,  and  it  is  time  to  think  earnestly  of  a  revival 
Religion  cannot  prosper  with  such  things  in  the  church,  and 
*)thing  can  put  an  end  to  them  like  a  revival 

3.  When  there  is  a  worldly  spirit  in  the  church.  It  is  man- 
ifest that  the  church  is  sunk  down  into  a  low  and  backslidden 
state,  when  you  see  Christians  conform  to  the  world  in  dress, 
equipage,  parties,  seeking  worldly  amusements,  reading  nov- 
els, and  other  books  such  as  the  world  read.  It  shows  that 
Jtej  are  far  from  God,  and  that  there  is  great  need  of  a  Revi- 
val of  Rehgion. 

4.  WTien  the  church  finds  its  members  falling  into  gross  and 
scandalous  sins,  then  it  is  time  for  the  church  to  awake  and 
ijij  *^  God  for  a  Revival  of  Rehgion.  When  such  things  ai-Q 
taking  place,  as  give  the  enemies  of  rehgion  an  occasion  for 
reproach,  it  is  time  for  the  church  to  ask  of  God,  "  What  will 
become  of  thy  gi-eat  name  ?  " 

5.  WTien  there  is  a  spirit  of  controversy  in  the  church  or  ir 
the  land,  a  revival  is  needful.  The  spirit  of  rehgion  is  not  thi 
spirit  of  controversy.  There  can  be  no  prosperity  in  religion 
where  the  spirit  of  controversy  prevails. 

6.  When  the  ^sacked  triumph  over  the  church,  and  revile 
them,  it  is  time  to  seek  for  a  Revival  of  Rehgion. 

7.  When  sinners  are  careless  and  stupid,  and  sinking  into 
heU  miconcemed,  it  is  time  the  church  should  bestir  themselves. 
It  is  as  much  the  duty  of  the  church  to  awake,  as  it  is  of  the 
firemen  to  awake  when  a  fii'e  breaks  out  in  the  night  in  a  great 
dty.  The  chiu-ch  ought  to  put  out  the  fires  of  hell  which  are 
laying  hold  of  the  wicked.  Sleep  1  Should  the  firemen  sleep, 
and  let  the  whole  city  bum  down ;  what  would  be  thought  of 


24  WHESr   A   REVIVAL    IS   TO    SE    KXTECTED. 

»uch  firemen  ?  And  yet  their  guilt  would  not  compare  with 
the  guilt  of  Christians  who  sleep  while  sinners  around  them 
are  sinking  stupid  into  the  fires  of  hell. 

n.       I   AM   TO   SHOW  THE    IMPOETANOB    OF   A   EEVIVAIi   OP    BKUGIOS 
IN   SUCH   CIECXJMSTANCES. 

1.  A  Revival  of  Religion  is  the  only  possible  thing  that  can 
vipe  away  the  reproach  which  covers  tiie  church,  and  restore 
rehgion  to  the  place  it  ought  to  have  in  the  estimation  of  the 
public  Without  a  revival,  this  reproach  will  cover  the  church 
more  and  more,  until  it  is  overwhelmed  with  universal  con- 
tempt. You  may  do  any  thing  else  yon  please,  and  you  can 
change  the  aspects  of  society  in  some  respects,  but  you  will 
do  no  real  good  ;  you  only  ma,ke  it  worse  vnthout  a  Revival 
of  ReligiouJ  You  may  go  and  build  a  splendid  new  house  of 
worship,  and  line  your  seats  with  damask,  put  up  a  costly  pul- 
pit, and  get  a  magiiificent  organ,  and  every  thing  of  that  kind, 
to  make  a  show  and  dash,  and  in  that  way  you  may  procure 
a  sort  of  respect  for  rehgion  among  the  wicked,  but  it  does 
no  good  in  reahty.  It  rather  does  hurt  It  misleads  them  as 
to  the  real  nature  of  rehgion  ;  and  so  far  from  converting 
them,  it  carries  them  farther  away  from  salvation.  Look 
wherever  they  have  surrounded  the  altar  of  Christianity 
with  splendor,  and  you  will  find  that  the  impression  produc- 
ed is  contrary  to  the  true  nature  of  rehgion.  There  must 
be  a  waking  up  of  energy,  on  the  part  of  Christians,  and  an 
outpouiiug  of  God's  Spirit,  or  the  world  will  laugh  at  the 
church. 

2.  Nothing  else  will  restore  Christian  love  and  confidence 
among  church  members.  Nothing  but  a  Revival  of  Rehgion 
can  restore  it,  and  nothing  else  ought  to  restore  it  There  is 
no  other  way  to  wake  up  that  love  of  Christians  for  one  ai> 
other,  which  is  sometimes  felt,  when  they  have  such  love  as 
they  cannot  express.  You  cannot  have  such  love  without  con- 
fidence ;  and  you  cannot  restore  confidence  without  such  evi- 
dence of  piety  as  is  seen  in  a  revival  If  a  minister  finds  he 
hafi  lost  in  any  degree  the  confidence  of  his  people,  he  ought 
to  labor  for  a  revival  as  the  only  means  of  regaining  their 
confidence.  I  do  not  mean  that  this  should  be  his  motive  in 
laboring  for  a  revival,  to  regaia  the  confidence  of  his  people, 
but  that  a  revival  through  his  instrumentahty,  and  ordinar 
ily  nothing  else,  will  restore  to  him  the  confidence  of  the 
prayiag  part  of  his  people.  So  if  an  elder  or  private  mem- 
ber of  the  church  finds  his  brethren  cold  towards  him,  ther« 


WUJiV    A    REVIVAL    18   TO    BE    EXPECTED.  36 

IS  but  one  way  to  remedy  it  It  is  by  being  revived  himself, 
and  pouring  out  from  his  eyes  and  from  his  Ufe  the  splendor 
of  the  image  of  Chiist.  This  spirit  wiU  catch  and  spread  in 
the  church,  and  confidence  will  be  renewed,  and  brotherly  love 
prevail  again. 

3.  At  such  a  time  a  Revival  of  Religion  is  indispensable  to 
avert  the  judgments  of  God  fr'om  the  chui'ch.  This  would 
be  8ti*ange  preaching,  if  revivals  are  only  miracles,  and  if  the 
chui'ch  has  no  more  agency  in  producing  them,  than  it  has  in 
making  a  thunder  storm.  To  say  to  the  chui-ch,  that  imless 
there  is  a  revival  you  may  expect  judgments,  would  then  be 
as  ridiculous  as  to  say.  If  you  do  not  have  a  thunder  storm, 
you  may  expect  judgments.  The  fact  is,  that  Christians,  are 
more  to  blame  for  not  being  revived,  than  sinners  are  for  not 
being  converted.  And  if  they  are  not  awakened,  they  may 
know  assuredly  that  God  wiU  visit  them  with  his  judgments. 
How  often  God  visited  the  Jewish  church  with  judgments, 
because  they  would  not  repent  and  be  revived  at  the  call  of 
his  prophets  I  How  often  have  we  seen  churches,  and  even 
whole  denominations,  cursed  with  a  curse,  because  they  would 
not  wake  up  and  seek  the  Lord,  and  pray,  "Wilt  thou  not 
revive  us  again,  that  thy  people  may  rejoice  in  thee  ?  " 

4.  Nothing  but  a  Revival  of  Religion  can  preserve  such  a 
church  from  annihilation.  A  church  declining  in  this  way 
cannot  continue  to  exist  without  a  revival.  If  it  receives  new 
members,  they  wiU,  for  the  most  part,  be  made  up  of  ungodly 
persons.  Without  revivals  there  will  not  ordinarily  be  as 
many  persons  converted  as  will  die  off  in  a  year.  There 
have  been  chiu-chea  in  this  country  where  the  members  have 
died  ofl^  and  there  were  no  revivals  to  convert  others  in  their 
place,  till  the  church  has  run  out,  and  the  organization  has 
been  dissolved. 

A  minister  told  me  that  he  once  labored  as  a  missionary  in 
Virginia,  on  the  ground  where  such  a  man  as  Samuel  Davies 
once  flashed  and  shone  like  a  flaming  torch;  and  that  Davies's 
church  was  so  reduced  as  to  have  but  one  male  member,  and 
He,  if  I  remember  right,  was  a  colored  man.  The  church  had 
jiot  proud,  and  was  aU  nm  out  I  have  heard  of  a  church  in 
rennsyJvania,  that  was  formerly  flourishing,  but  neglected  re- 
vivals, and  it  became  so  reduced  that  the  pastor  had  to  send 
to  a  neighboring  church  for  a  ruling  elder  when  he  adminia- 
tered  the  communion.* 


•  Why  not.  In  such  a  case,  let  any  member  of  the  church,  male  ot  femAle,  dlstrf 
bnt«  the  elements  ?    I>?  it  indit?peu8able  to  have  an  elder  ? 

2 


r' 


M  WHEN    A    REVIVAL   IS   TO    BE    EXPECTED. 

6.  jSothing  but  a  Eevival  of  EeKgion  can  prevent  the  meanii 
of  grace  from  doing  a  great  injury  to  the  imgodly.  AI\'ithout 
a  revival,  they  will  grow  harder  and  harder  under  preaching, 
and  vidll  experience  a  more  horrible  damnation  than  they 
would  if  they  had  never  heard  the  Gospel.  Your  children  and 
your  friends  will  go  down  to  a  much  more  honible  fate  in  heU, 
in  consequence  of  the  means  of  gi-ace,  if  there  are  no  revivals 
to  convert  them  to  God.  Better  were  it  for  them  if  there 
were  no  means  of  grace,  no  sanctuary,  no  Bible,  no  preaching, 
and  if  they  had  never  heard  the  Gospel,  than  to  hve  and  die 
where  there  is  no  revival.  The  Gospel  is  the  savor  of  deatL 
unto  death,  if  it  is  not  made  a  savor  of  life  unto  life. 

6.  There  is  no  other  way  in  which  a  chui'ch  can  be  sancti- 
fied, grow  in  grace,  and  be  fitted  for  heaven.  What  is  grow- 
ing in  grace  ?  Is  it  hearing  sermons  and  getting  some  new 
notims  about  rehgion  ?  No — ^no  such  thing.  The  Christian 
who  does  this,  and  nothing  more,  is  getting  worse  and  worse, 
more  and  more  hardened,  and  every  week  it  is  more  difficult 
to  rouse  bim  up  to  duty. 

m.       I   AM   TO   SHOW   WHEN   A   EEVIVAL   OF   RELIGION   MAY   BE   EX- 
PECTED. 

1.  When  the  providence  of  God  indicates  that  a  revival  id 
at  hand.  The  indications  of  God's  providence  are  sometimes 
so  plain  as  to  amount  to  a  revelation  of  his  will.  There  is  a 
conspiring  of  events  to  open  the  way,  a  preparation  of  cii> 
cumstances  to  favor  a  revival,  so  that  those  who  are  looking 
out  can  see  that  a  revival  is  at  hand,  just  as  plainly  as  if  it  had 
been  revealed  from  Heaven.  Cases  have  occurred  in  this 
country,  where  the  providential  manifestations  were  so  plain, 
that  those  who  are  careful  observers,  felt  no  hesitation  ui  say- 
ing that  God  was  coming  to  pour  out  his  Spirit,  and  grant  a 
revival  of  religion.  There  are  various  ways  for  God  to  indi- 
cate his  will  to  a  people — sometimes  by  giving  them  peculiar 
means,  sometimes  by  pecuhar  and  alarming  events,  sometimes 
by  remarkably  favoring  the  employment  of  means,  by  the 
weather,  health,  etc. 

2.  When  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked  grieves  and  hum- 
bles and  distresses  Christians.  Sometimes  Christians  do  not 
seem  to  mind  any  .thing  about  the  wickedness  around  them. 
Or  if  they  talk  about  it,  it  is  in  a  cold,  and  callous,  and  unfeel- 
ing way,  as  if  they  despaired  of  a  reformation  :  they  are  dis- 
]LX)sed  to  scold  at  sinners — not  to  feel  the  compassion  of  the 
Son  of  God  for  them.     But  sometimes  the  conduct  of  the 


WHKV    ▲    REVIVAL    IS   TO    BE    EXPECTED.  27 

wicked  drives  Christians  to  prayer,  and  breaks  them  down, 
and  makes  them  sorrowful  and  tender-hearted,  so  that  they 
can  weep  day  and  night,  and  instead  of  scolding  and  reproach- 
ing them,  they  pray  earnestly  for  them.  Then  you  may  ex- 
pect a  revival  Indeed  this  is  a  revival  begun  already.  Some- 
tunes  the  wicked  will  get  up  an  opposition  to  rehgion.  And 
when  this  di^ves  Christians  to  their  knees  in  prayer  to  God, 
with  strong  crying  and  tears,  you  may  be  certain  there  is 
going  to  be  a  revival  The  prevalence  of  vnckedness  is  no 
evidence  at  all  that  there  is  not  going  to  be  a  revival  That 
is  often  God's  time  to  work-  When  the  enemy  cometh  in 
like  a  flood,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  lifts  up  a  standard  against 
him.  Often  the  first  indication  of  a  revival,  is  the  devil's  geif 
ting  up  something  new  in  opposition.  In  wiU  invariably  have 
one  of  two  effects.  It  wiU  either  drive  Christians  to  God,  or 
it  will  drive  them  fc^irther  away  from  God,  to  some  carnal  pol- 
icy or  other  that  will  only  make  things  worse.  Frequently 
the  most  outrageous  wickedness  of  the  ungodly  is  followed 
by  a  revival  If  Christians  ai'e  made  to  feel  that  they  have 
no  hope  but  ui  God,  and  if  they  have  sufficient  feeling  left  to 
care  for  the  honor  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  the  souls  of 
the  impenitent,  there  will  certainly  be  a  revival  Let  hell 
boil  over  if  it  will,  and  spew  out  as  many  devils  as  there  are 
stones  in  the  pavements,  if  it  only  diives  Christians  to  God 
in  prayer — ^they  cannot  hinder  a  revival.  Let  Satan  get  up  a 
row,  and  sound  his  horn  as  loud  as  he  pleases  ;  if  Christians 
will  only  be  humbled  and  pray,  they  shall  soon  see  God's 
naked  arm  in  a  revival  of  rehgion.  I  have  known  instances 
where  a  revival  has  broken  in  upon  the  ranks  of  the  enemy, 
almost  as  suddenly  as  a  clap  of  thunder,  and  scattered  them — 
taken  the  very  ringleaders  as  trophies,  and  broken  up  their 
party  in  an  instani 

3.  A  revival  may  be  expected  when  Christians  have  a  spirit 
of  prayer  for  a  revival.  That  is,  when  they  pray  as  if  their 
hearts  were  set  upon  a  revival  Sometimes  Christians  ar« 
not  engaged  in  prayer  for  a  reuivcd,  not  even  when  they  art 
warm  in  prayer.  Their  minds  are  upon  something  else  ;  they 
are  praying  for  something  else — the  salvation  of  the  heathen 
and  the  like — and  not  for  a  revival  among  themselves.  But 
when  they  feel  the  want  of  a  revival,  they  pray  for  it ;  they 
feel  for  their  own  famihes  and  neighborhoods,  and  pray  for 
them  as  if  they  could  not  be  denied.  Wliat  constitutes  a 
spirit  of  prayer  ?  Is  it  many  prayers  and  warm  words  ?  No. 
Prayer  is  the  state  of  the  heart.  The  spirit  of  prayer  is  a 
state  of  continual  desire  and  anxiety  of  mind  for  the  salvation 


f8  WHEN    A.    RKVIViLL   IS   TO    BE   EXPECTED. 

of  sinners.  It  is  something  that  weighs  them  down.  If  » 
the  same,  so  far  as  the  philosophy  of  the  mind  is  concerned 
as  when  a  man  is  anxious  for  some  worldly  interest.  A  Chris 
fcian  who  has  this  spirit  of  prayer  feels  anxious  for  souls.  It 
is  the  subject  of  his  thoughts  all  the  time,  and  makes  him 
look  and  act  as  if  he  had  a  load  on  his  mind.  He  thinks  of 
it  by  day,  and  dreams  of  it  by  night.  This  is  properly  pray- 
ing without  ceasing.  The  man's  prayers  seem  to  flow  from 
his  heart  hquid  as  water — "  O  Lord,  revive  thy  work."  Some- 
times this  feeHng  is  very  deep  ;  persons  have  been  bowed 
dowD,  so  that  they  could  neither  stand  nor  sit  I  can  name 
men  in  this  State,  of  firm  nerves,  who  stand  high  in  charac- 
ter, who  have  been  absolutely  crushed  with  grief  for  the  state 
of  sinners.  They  have  had  an  actual  travail  of  soul  for  sin- 
ners, tin  they  were  as  helpless  as  children.  The  feeling  is 
not  always  so  great  as  this,  but  such  things  are  much  more 
common  than  is  supposed  In  the  great  revivals  in  1826,  they 
were  common.  This  is  by  no  means  enthusiasm.  It  is  just 
what  Paul  felt,  when  he  says,  "  My  little  children,  of  whom  I 
travail  in  birth."  I  heard  of  a  person  in  this  State,  who  prayed 
for  sinners,  and  finally  got  into  such  a  state  of  mind,  that  she 
could  not  Uve  without  prayer.  She  could  not  rest  day  nor 
night,  unless  there  was  somebody  praying.  Then  she  would 
be  at  ease  ;  but  if  they  ceased,  she  would  shriek  in  agony  tiQ 
there  was  prayer  again.  And  this  continued  for  two  days, 
until  she  prevailed  in  prayer,  and  her  soul  was  reUeved.  This 
travail  of  soul,  is  that  deep  agony,  wliich  persons  feel  when 
they  lay  hold  on  God  for  such  a  blessing,  and  will  not  let  him 
go  tiU  tiiey  receive  it  I  do  not  mean  to  be  understood  that 
it  is  essential  to  a  spirit  of  prayer,  that  the  distress  should  be 
so  great  as  this.  But  this  deep,  continual,  earnest  desire  for 
the  salvation  of  sinners,  is  what  constitutes  the  spirit  of  pray- 
er for  a  revival.  It  is  a  revival  begun  so  far  as  this  spirit  of 
prayer  extends. 

When  this  feeling  exists  in  a  church,  unless  the  Spirit  is 
grieved  away  by  sin,  there  will  infaUibly  be  a  revival  of 
Christians  generally,  and  it  will  involve  the  conversion  of  sin- 
ners to  God.     This  anxiety  and  disti-ess  increases  till  the 

revival  commences.      A  clergyman  in  W n  told  me  of  a 

revival  among  his  people,  which  commenced  with  a  zealous 
and  devoted  woman  in  the  church.  She  became  anxioua 
about  sinners,  and  went  to  praying  for  them  ;  she  prayed 
and  her  distress  increased  ;  and  she  finally  came  to  her 
minister,  and  talked  vnth  him,  and  asked  him  to  appoint  an 
anxious  meeting,  for  she  felt  that  one  was  needed.     The  mi» 


IfHKN  A  REVIVAL  IS  TO  BE  EXPECTED.         f 9 

islor  put  her  off^  for  he  felt  nothing  of  it  The  neid  week  she 
cauie  again,  and  besought  him  to  appoint  an  anxious  meet- 
ing ;  she  knew  there  would  be  somebody  to  come,  for  she  felt 
as  if  God  was  going  to  pour  out  his  Spiiii  He  put  her  off 
agaiiL  And  finally  she  said  to  him,  "  If  you  do  not  appoint 
an  anxious  meeting  I  shall  die,  for  there  is  certainly  going  to 
be  a  revival."  The  next  Sabbath  he  appointed  a  meeting, 
and  said  that  if  there  were  any  who  wished  to  converse  with 
liim  about  the  salvation  of  their  souls,  he  would  meet  them 
on  such  an  evening.  He  did  not  know  of  one,  but  when  he 
went  to  the  place,  to  his  astonishment  he  found  a  large  num- 
ber of  anxious  inquirers.  Now  do  not  you  think  that  woman 
knew  there  was  going  to  be  a  revival?  Call  it  what  you 
please,  a  new  revelation,  or  an  old  revelation,  or  any  thing 
else,  I  say  it  was  tlie  Spirit  of  God  that  taught  that  prating 
woman  there  was  going  to  be  a  revival  "  The  secret  of  the 
Lord"  was  vrith  her,  and  she  knew  ii  She  knew  God  had 
been  in  her  heart,  and  filled  it  so  fuU  that  she  could  contain 
no  longer. 

Sometimes  ministers  have  had  this  distress  about  their  con- 
gregations, so  that  they  felt  as  if  they  could  not  live  unless 
mey  could  see  a  revival  Sometimes  elders  and  deacons,  or 
private  members  of  the  church,  men  or  women,  have  the  spu'it 
of  prayer  for  a  revival  of  religion,  so  that  they  will  hold  on 
and  prevail  with  God,  till  he  pours  out  his  Spirit  The  first 
ray  of  light  that  broke  in  upon  the  midnight  which  rested  on 
ihe  churches  in  Oneida  county,  in  the  fall  of  1825,  was  from 
a  woman  in  feeble  health,  who,  I  believe,  had  never  been  in  a 
jowei-ful  revival  Her  soul  was  exercised  about  sinners, 
slie  was  in  an  agony  for  the  laud.  She  did  not  know  what 
ailnd  her,  but  she  kept  praying  more  and  more,  till  it  seemed 
as  if  her  agony  would  destroy  her  body.  At  length  she 
became  full  of  joy,  and  exclaimed,  "God  has  come!  God 
has  come  1  There  is  no  mistake  about  it,  the  work  is  begun, 
and  is  going  over  iill  the  region."  And  sure  enough,  the 
work  began,  and  her  family  were  almost  all  converted,  and 
the  work  spread  all  over  that  part  of  the  country.  Now,  do 
you  think  that  woman  was  deceived  ?  I  teU  you,  no.  She 
knew  she  had  prevailed  with  God  in  prayer.  She  had  trav- 
ailed in  bu'th  for  souls,  and  she  knew  it  This  was  not  the 
only  instance,  by  many,  that  I  knew  in  that  regiom 

Generally,  there  are  but  few  professors  of  rehgion  that 
know  any  thing  about  this  spirit  of  prayer  which  prevails 
with  God.  I  have  been  amazed  to  see  such  accounts  as  are 
often  published  about  revivals,  as  if  the  revival  had  oome 


M  WHBN    A    BEVIVAL   IS    TO    BE    EXPECTKD. 

without  any  cause — nobody  knew  why  or  wherefore.  I  have 
sometimes  inquii-ed  into  such  cases  ;  when  it  had  been  given 
out  that  nobody  knew  any  thing  about  it  until  one  Sabbath 
they  saw  in  the  face  of  the  congi'egation  that  God  was  there, 
or  they  saw  it  in  their  conference  room,  or  prayer  meeting, 
and  were  astonished  at  the  mysterious  sovereignty  of  God,  in 
biinging  in  a  revival  without  any  apparent  connection  with 
means.  Now  mark  me.  Go  and  inquire  among  the  obscure 
members  of  the  chui'ch,  and  you  will  always  find  that  some^ 
body  had  been  praying  for  a  revival,  and  was  expecting  it — 
some  man  or  woman  had  been  agonizing  in  prayer,  for  thb 
salvation  of  sinners,  until  they  gained  the  blessing.  It  may 
have  found  the  minister  and  the  body  of  the  church  fast 
•"(Sleep,  and  they  would  wsike  up  ;^11  of  a  sudden,  like  a  man 
just  rubbing  his  eyes  open,  and  running  round  the  room 
j)ushing  things  over,  and  wondering  where  all  this  excitement 
came  from.  But  though  few  knew  it,  you  may  be  sure  there 
has  been  somebody  on  the  watch-tower  ;  constant  in  prayer 
till  the  blessing  came.  Generally,  a  revival  is  more  or  less 
extensive,  as  there  are  more  or  less  persons  who  have  the 
spirit  of  prayer.  But  I  will  not  dwell  on  tliis  subject  any  fur- 
ther at  present,  as  the  subject  of  prayer  will  come  up  again  in 
this  course  of  lectures, 

4  Another  sign  that  a  revival  may  be  expected,  is  when 
the  attention  of  ministers  is  especially  dii-ected  to  tliis  partio 
tdar  object,  and  when  their  preaching  and  other  effoi-ts  are 
aimed  particularly  at  the  conversion  of  sinners.  Most  of  the 
time  the  labors  of  ministers  are,  it  would  seem,  directed  to 
j  other  objects.  They  seem  to  preach  and  labor  with  no  par 
ticular  design  to  effect  the  immediate  conversion  of  sinners 
And  then  it  need  not  be  expected  that  there  will  be  a  revivaj 
under  their  preaching.  There  never  will  be  a  revival  till 
somebody  makes  particular  efforts  for  this  end.  But  when  the 
attention  of  a  minister  is  directed  to  the  state  of  the  families 
in  his  congregation,  and  his  heart  is  full  of  feeling  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  a  revival,  and  when  he  puts  forth  the  proper  efforts 
for  this  end,  then  you  may  be  prepared  to  expect  a  revival. 
As  I  explained  last  week,  the  connection  between  the  right 
use  of  means  for  a  revival,  and  a  revival,  is  as  philosophically 
sure  as  between  the  right  use  of  means  to  raise  grain,  and  a 
crop  of  wheat,  I  beheve,  in  fact,  it  is  more  certain,  and  that 
there  are  fewer  instances  of  failure.  The  effect  is  more  cer- 
tain to  follow.  The  paramount  importance  of  spirituaJ 
things  makes  it  reasonable  that  it  should  be  so.  Take  the 
Bible,  the  nature  of  the  case,  and  the  history  of  the  church. 


WHBH    A    REVIVAL    18    TO    BE    KXPJBCTBD.  81 

Bui  together,  and  you  will  find  fewer  failures  in  the  use  of 
means  for  a  revival,  than  in  fanning,  or  any  other  worldly 
/business.  In  worldly  business  there  are  sometimes  cases 
where  counteracting  causes  annihilate  all  a  man  can  do.  In 
raising  grain,  for  instance,  there  are  cases  which  are  beyond 
^e  control  of  man,  such  as  drought,  hard  winter,  worms,  and 
8u  on.  So  in  laboring  to  promote  a  revival,  there  may 
things  occur  to  coimteract  it,  something  or  other  turning  up 
to  divert  the  pubhc  attention  from  religion,  which  may  baffle 
every  effort  But  I  beheve  there  are  fewer  such  cases  in  the 
moral  than  in  the  natural  world.  I  have  seldom  seen  an  Iq- 
diviviual  fail,  when  he  used  the  means  for  promoting  a  revival 
In  earnest,  in  the  manner  pointed  out  in  the  word  of  God.  1 
beheve  a  man  may  enter  on  the  work  of  promoting  a  revival, 
with  as  reasonable  an  expectation  of  success,  as  he  can  enter 
on  any  other  work  with  an  expectation  of  success  ;  with  the 
same  expectation  as  the  fanner  has  of  a  crop  when  he  sowe 
his  grain.  I  have  sometimes  seen  this  tried  and  succeed  un- 
der circumstances  the  most  forbidding  that  can  be  conceived. 

The  great  revival  in  Rochester  began  under  the  most  dis- 
advantageous circumstances  that  could  well  be  imagined 
It  seemed  as  though  Satan  had  intei-posed  every  possible  ob- 
stacle to  a  revival.  The  three  churches  were  at  variance;  one 
had  no  minister,  one  was  divided  and  about  to  dismiss  their 
minister.  An  elder  of  the  third  Presbyterian  church  had 
brought  a  charge  of  unchristian  conduct  against  the  pastor 
of  the  first  church,  and  they  were  just  going  to  have  a  trial 
before  the  presbytery.  After  the  work  began,  one  of  the  first 
things  was,  the  great  stone  church  gave  way,  and  created  a 
panic.  Then  one  of  the  churches  went  on  and  dismissed 
their  minister  right  in  the  midst  of  it.  Another  church 
nearly  broke  dov^n.  Many  other  things  occurred,  so  thai 
it  seemed  as  if  the  devil  was  deteimined  to  divert  the  pubhc 
attention  from  the  subject  of  rehgion.  But  there  were  a  few 
remarkable  cases  of  the  spirit  of  prayer,  which  assm^ed  us 
that  God  was  there,  and  we  went  on  :  and  the  more  Satan 
opposed,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  lifted  up  the  standard  higher 
and  higher,  tiU  finally  a  wave  of  salvation  rolled  over  the 
place. 

5.  A  revival  of  religion  may  be  expected  when  Cliristians 
begin  to  confess  their  sins  to  one  another.  At  other  times, 
they  confess  in  a  general  manner,  as  if  they  were  only  half  in 
earnest  They  may  do  it  in  eloquent  language,  but  it  does 
KLot  mean  any  thing.  But  when  fliere  is  an  ingenuous  break* 
'ng  down,  and  a  pouring  out  of  the  heart  in  makiofir  a  con 


82  WHEN    A    REVIVAL    IS    TO    BE    EXPEOTftwu 

fession  of  their  sins,  the  flood-gates  yfHI  soon  burst  open,  and 

salvation  will  flow  over  the  place. 

6.  A  revival  may  be  expected  whenever  Christians  are 
found  willing  to  make  the  sacrifice  necessai^  to  carry  it  on. 
They  must  be  willing  to  sacrifice  their  feelings,  their  business, 
their  time,  to  help  forward  the  work.  Ministers  must  b« 
willing  to  lay  out  their  strength,  and  to  jeopard  their 
health  and  life.  They  must  be  wilhng  to  offenJ  the  im 
penitent  by  plain  and  faithful  dealing,  and  perhaps  offend 
many  members  of  the  church  who  will  not  come  up  to  the 
work.  They  must  take  a  decided  stand  with  the  revival, 
be  the  consequences  what  they  may.  They  must  be  pre- 
pared to  go  on  with  the  work,  even  though  they  should  lose 
the  affections  of  all  the  impenitent,  and  of  all  the  cold  part 
of  the  chui'ch.  The  minister  must  be  prepared,  if  it  is  the 
will  of  God,  to  be  driven  away  from  the  place.  He  must  be 
determined  to  go  straight  forward,  and  leave  the  entire  event 
with  God. 

I  knew  a  minister  who  had  a  young  man  laboring  with  him 
in  a  revival  The  young  man  preached  pretty  plain,  and  the 
wicked  did  not  like  him.  They  said.  We  like  our  minister, 
and  we  wish  to  have  him  preach.  They  finally  said  so  much 
that  the  minister  told  the  young  man,  "  Mr.  Such-a-one,  that 
gives  so  much  towards  my  support,  says  so  and  so.  Mr.  A. 
says  so,  and  Mr.  B.  says  so.  They  think  it  will  break  up  the 
society  if  you  continue  to  preach,  and  I  think  you  had  better 
not  preach  any  more."  The  young  man  went  away,  but  the 
Spirit  of  God  immediately  withdrew  from  the  place,  and  the 
revival  stopped  short.  The  minister,  by  yielding  to  the  wicked 
desires  of  the  wicked,  drove  him  away.  He  was  afraid  the 
devil  would  drive  him  away  from  his  people,  and  by  undertak- 
ing to  satisfy  the  devil,  he  offended  God.  And  God  so  ordered 
events,  that  in  a  short  time  he  had  to  leave  his  people  after 
all.  He  undertook  to  go  between  the  devil  and  God,  and  God 
dismissed  him. 

The  people,  also,  must  be  willing  to  have  a  revival,  let  the 
sacrifice  be  what  it  may.  It  will  not  do  for  them  to  say,  "  We 
are  willing  to  attend  so  many  meetings,  but  we  cannot  attend 
any  more."  Or,  "We  are  willing  to  have  a  re\aval  if  it  will 
not  disturb  our  arrangements  about  our  business,  or  prevent 
our  making  money."  I  tell  you,  such  (people  will  never  have 
a  revival,  till  they  are  vrilling  to  do  any  thing,  and  sacrifice 
any  tiling,  that  God  indicates  to  be  theii'  duty.  Chi'istian 
merchants  must  feel  willing  to  lock  up  their  stores  for  six 
months,  if  it  is  necessary  to  cairy  on  a  revival.     I  do  nf>i 


WHEN    A    BBVTVAL    T9    TO    RE    KIPKCTKD.  S9 

mean  to  say  any  sucli  thing  ifl  called  for,  or  that  it  is  their 
duty  to  do  so.  But  if  thero  should  be  such  a  state  of  feeling 
as  to  call  for  it,  tlien  it  would  be  their  duty,  and  they  ought 
ito  be  willing  to  do  it.  They  ought  to  be  williQg  to  do  it  if 
Trod  calls,  and  he  can  easily  bum  down  their  stores  if  they 
do  not.  In  fact,  I  should  not  be  sorry  to  see  such  a  revival 
in  New  York,  as  would  make  every  merchant  in  the  city  lock 
up  his  store  till  spring,  and  say  he  had  sold  goods  enough,  and 
now  he  would  give  up  his  whole  time  to  lead  sinners  to  Christ. 

7.  A  revival  may  be  expected  when  ministers  and  profes- 
sors are  wilHng  to  have  God  promote  it  by  what  instruments 
he  pleases.  Sometimes  ministers  are  not  willing  to  have  a 
revival  imless  they  can  have  the  mangement  of  it,  or  unless 
their  agency  can  be  conspicuous  in  promoting  it.  They  wish 
to  prescribe  to  God  what  he  shall  direct  and  bless,  and  what 
men  he  shall  put  forward  They  will  have  no  new  measures. 
They  cannot  have  any  of  this  new-hght  preaching,  or  of  these 
evangelists  that  go  about  the  country  preaching.  They  have 
ft  great  deal  to  say  about  God's  being  a  sovereign,  and  that 
he  will  have  revivals  come  in  his  own  way  and  time.  But 
then  he  must  choose  to  have  it  just  in  their  way,  or  they  will 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it.  Such  men  will  sleep  on  till  they 
are  awakened  by  the  judgment  trumpet,  without  a  revival, 
unless  they  are  willing  that  God  should  come  in  his  own  way 
— ^unless  they  are  willing  to  have  any  thing  or  any  body  em- 
ployed, that  will  do  the  most  good 

8.  Strictly  I  should  say  that  when  the  foregoing  things  oc- 
cur, a  revival,  to  the  same  extent,  already  exists.  In  truth  a 
revival  should  be  expected  whenever  it  is  needed.  If  we  need 
to  be  revived  it  is  our  duty  to  be  re^dved.  If  it  is  duty  it  is 
possible,  and  we  should  set  about  being  revived  ourselves, 
and,  relying  on  the  promise  of  Christ  to  be  with  us  in  making 
disciples  always  and  everj^^here,  we  ought  to  labor  to  revive 
Christians  and  convert  sinners,  with  confident  expectation  of 
success.  Therefore,  whenever  the  church  needs  reviving  they 
ought  and  may  expect  to  be  revived,  and  to  see  sinners  con- 
verted to  Chiist.  WTien  those  things  are  seen  which  are 
named  under  the  foregoing  heads,  let  Christians  and  minis- 
ters be  encouraged  and  know  that  a  good  work  is  already  b^ 
gun.     Follow  it  up. 


RE3IABES. 

1.  Brethren,  you  can  tell  from  our  subject,  whether  yoa 
need  a  revival  hero  or  not,  in  this  church,  and  in  this  city 
9* 


84  WHEN   A    REVIVAL   IS   TO    BK    EXPECTSD. 

Rnd  whether  you  are  going  to  have  one  or  not  Elders  <1 
the  church,  men,  women,  any  of  you,  and  all  of  you — what  dft 
you  say  ? 

Do  you  need  a  revival  here  ? 

Do  you  expect  to  have  one  ? 

Have  you  any  reason  to  expect  one  ? 

"You  need  not  make  any  mist  about  it ;  for  you  know,  or 
cjan  know  if  you  will,  whether  you  have  any  reason  to  look 
for  a  revival  here. 

2.  You  see  why  you  have  not  a  revival.  It  is  only  because 
you  do  not  want  one.  Because  you  are  not  praying  for  it ; 
nor  £inxious  for  it,  nor  putting  forth  efforts  for  it.  I  apperf 
to  your  own  consciences.  Are  you  making  these  efforts  now, 
to  promote  a  revival  ?  You  know,  brethren,  what  the  truth 
is  about  it  Will  you  stand  up  and  say  that  you  have  made 
the  efforts  for  a  revival  and  been  disappointed — that  you  have 
cried  to  God,  "  Wilt  thou  not  revive  us  ?"  and  God  would  not 
do  it? 

3.  Do  you  wish  for  a  revival  ?  Will  you  have  one  ?  If  God 
should  ask  you  this  moment,  by  an  audible  voice  from  heaven, 
"  Do  you  want  a  revival  ?"  would  you  dare  to  say,  Yes  ?  "  Are 
you  wilHng  to  make  the  sacrifices  ?"  would  you  answer,  Yes  ? 
"  When  shall  it  begin  ?"  would  you  answer,  Let  it  begin  to- 
night— let  it  begin  here — let  it  begin  in  my  heart  NOW? 
Would  you  dare  to  say  so  to  God,  if  you  should  hear  his  voice 
to-night? 


LECTURE    III. 


HOW   TO   PEOMOTE   A    REVTVAI* 


Tbxt.— Break  op  your  ftillow  groand ;  for  It  Is  time  to  seek  the  Lord^  till  he  eoms 
sad  rain  rlghteousneBB  upon  you.— Hobba  x.  12. 

The  Jews  were  a  nation  of  farmers,  and  it  is  therefore  a 
common  thing  in  the  Scriptures  to  refer  for  illustrations  to 
their  occupation,  and  to  the  scenes  with  which  farmers  and 
shepherds  are  familiar.  The  prophet  Hosea  addresses  them 
as  a  nation  of  backsliders,  and  reproves  them  for  their  idola- 
ti-y,  and  threatens  them  with  the  judgments  of  God.  I  have 
showed  you  in  my  first  lecture  what  a  revival  is  not — what  it 
is — and  the  agencies  to  be  employed  in  promoting  it ;  and  in 
my  second,  when  it  is  needed — its  importance — and  when  it 
may  be  expected.     My  design  in  this  lecture  is  to  show, 

HOW   A   REVIVAL   IS   TO   BE   PEOMOTED. 

A  revival  consists  of  two  parts  ;  as  it  respects  the  church, 
and  as  it  respects  the  imgodly.  I  shall  speak  to-night  of  a 
revival  in  the  church.  Fallow  ground  is  ground  which  has 
once  been  tilled,  but  which  now  Hes  waste,  and  needs  to  be 
hioken  up  and  mellowed,  before  it  is  suited  to  receive  grain. 
I  sh£ill  show,  as  it  respects  a  revival  in  the  church, 

1.  What  it  is  to  break  up  the  fallow  ground,  in  the  sense 
of  the  text 

2.  How  it  is  to  be  performed. 

L       WHAT   IS   IT   TO   BEEAK   UP   THE   FALLOW   GBOUND  ? 

To  break  up  the  fallow  ground,  is  to  hreak  up  your  hearts— 
to  prepare  your  minds  to  bring  forth  fruit  unto  God.  The 
mind  of  man  is  often  compared  in  the  Bible  to  ground,  and 
the  word  of  G^d  to  seed  sown  in  it,  and  the  fmit  represents 
the  actions  and  affections  of  those  who  receive  it.  To  break 
up  the  fallow  ground,  therefore,  is  to  biing  the  mind  into 
Buch  a  state,  that  it  is  fitted  to  receive  the  word  of  God. 
Sometimes  your  hearts  get  matted  down  hard  and  dry,  and 
pU  run  to  waste,  till  there  is  no  such  thing  as  getting  fruit 
f-om  them  tiU  they  are  all  broken  up,  and  mellowed  down,  and 
£tted  to  receive  the  word  of  God.     It  is  this  softening  of  the 

(35) 


30  HOW   TO    PROMOTE    A   REVIVAL. 

heart,  so  as  to  make  it  feel  the  truth,  which  the  prophet  calls 
brealmig  up  your  fallow  ground. 

n.       HOW   IS   THE  FAExLOW   GROmiTD   TO   BE   BROKEN   UP? 

1.  It  is  not  by  any  direct  efforts  to  feel.  People  run  into  a 
mistake  on  this  subject,  from  not  making  the  laws  of  mind 
the  object  of  thought.  There  are  great  errors  on  the  subject 
of  the  laws  which  govern  the  mind.  People  talk  about  religi- 
ous feeling,  as  if  they  thought  they  could,  by  dii-ect  effort,  call 
forth  religious  affection.  But  this  is  not  the  way  the  mind 
acts.  No  man  can  make  himself  feel  in  this  way,  merely  by 
tiding  to  feeL  The  feelings  of  the  mind  are  not  directly  under 
our  control  We  cannot  by  willing,  or  by  direct  vohtion,  call 
forth  religious  feelings.  We  might  as  well  think  to  call 
spkits  up  fi-om  the  deep.  They  are  pui'ely  involuntary  states 
of  mind.  They  naturally  and  necessarily  exist  in  the  mind 
under  certain  circumstances  calculated  to  excite  them.  But 
they  can  be  controlled  indirectly.  Otherwise  there  would  be 
no  moral  character  in  our  feelings,  if  there  were  not  a  way  to 
control  them.  We  cannot  say,  *'  Now  I  will  feel  so  and  so  to- 
wards such  an  object."  But  we  can  command  oui-  attention  to 
it,  and  look  at  it  intently,  till  the  involuntary  affections  arise. 
Let  a  man  who  is  away  fi-om  his  family,  bring  them  up  before 
his  mind,  and  will  he  not  feel  ?  But  it  is  not  by  saying  to 
himself,  "Now  I  will  feel  deeply  for  my  family."  A  man  can 
dii-ect  his  attention  to  any  object,  about  which  he  ought  to 
feel  and  wishes  to  feel,  and  in  that  way  he  will  call  into  ex- 
istence the  proper  emotions.  Let  a  man  call  up  his  enemy 
before  his  mind,  and  his  feelings  of  enmity  vf^  rise.  So  if  a 
man  thinks  of  God,  and  fastens  his  mind  on  any  parts  of 
God's  character,  he  will  feel — emotions  wiU  come  up,  by  the 
very  laws  of  mind.  If  he  is  a  friend  of  God,  let  him  contem- 
plate God  as  a  gracious  and  holy  being,  and  he  will  have  emo- 
tions of  friendship  kindled  up  in  his  mind.  If  he  is  an  enemy 
of  God,  only  let  him  get  the  true  character  of  God  before  his 
mind,  and  look  at  it,  and  fasten  his  attention  on  it,  and  his 
enmity  will  rise  against  God,  or  he  wiU  break  down  and  give 
his  heart  to  God. 

If  you  wisli  to  break  up  the  fallow  gi'ound  of  your  hearts, 
and  make  your  minds  feel  on  the  subject  of  religion,  you  must 
go  to  work  just  as  you  would  to  feel  on  any  other  subject.  Instead 
of  keeping  your  thoughts  on  every  tiling  else,  and  then  ima- 
gine that  by  going  to  a  few  meetings  you  wiU  get  y  jui'  feelings 
enlisted,  go  the  common  seni^^e  way  to  work,  as  you  would  on 


MOW    TO    PROMOTE    k    REVTVAU  $7 

%Dj  Other  subject  It  is  just  as  o^sy  to  make  your  minds  feel 
on  the  subject  of  religion  as  it  is  on  any  other  subject  God 
baa  put  these  states  of  mind  under  your  control.  If  people 
were  as  unphilosophical  about  moving  their  limbs,  as  they  are 
about  regulating  their  emotions,  you  would  never  have  got 
here  to  meeting  to-night 

If  you  mean  to  break  the  fallow  ground  of  your  hearts, 
you  must  begin  by  looking  at  your  hearts — examine  and  note 
the  state  of  your  minds,  and  see  where  you  are.  Many  never 
seem  to  think  about  this.  They  pay  no  attention  to  their  own 
hearts,  and  never  know  whether  they  are  doing  well  in  reli- 
gion or  not — whether  they  are  gaining  ground  or  going  back 
— whether  they  are  fruitful,  or  lying  waste  hke  the  fallow 
ground.  Now  you  must  draw  off  your  attention  from  other 
things,  and  look  into  this.  Make  a  business  of  it  Do  not 
be  in  a  hun-y.  Examine  thoroughly  the  state  of  your  hearts, 
and  see  where  you  are — whether  you  are  walking  with  God 
every  day,  or  walking  with  the  devil — whether  you  are  serv- 
lig  God  or  serving  the  devil  most. — whether  you  are  under 
the  dominion  of  the  piince  of  darkness,  or  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ 

To  do  aU  this,  you  must  set  yourselves  at  work  to  consider 
your  sins.  You  must  examine  yourselves.  And  by  this  I  do 
not  mean,  that  you  must  stop  and  look  directly  witliin  to 
see  what  is  the  present  state  of  your  feelings.  That  is  the 
very  way  to  put  a  stop  to  all  feeling.  This  is  just  as 
absurd  as  it  would  be  for  a  man  to  shut  his  eyes  on  the  lamp, 
and  try  to  turn  his  eyes  inward  to  find  out  whether  there  was 
any  image  painted  on  the  retina.  The  man  complains  that  he 
does  not  see  anjiihing  1  And  why  ?  Because  he  has  turned  his 
eyes  away  from  the  objects  of  sight.  The  truth  is,  our  moral 
feelings  are  as  much  an  object  of  consciousness  as  oui-  sensa- 
tions. And  the  way  to  excite  them  is  to  go  on  acting,  and 
employing  our  minds.  Then  we  can  tell  our  moral  feelings 
by  consciousness,  just  as  I  could  tell  my  natural  feelings  by 
consciousness,  if  I  should  put  my  hand  in  the  fii'e. 

Self-examination  consists  in  looking  at  your  hves,  in  consi- 
dering your  actions,  in  calling  up  the  past,  and  learning  its 
true  character.  Look  back  over  your  past  history.  Take  up 
your  individual  sins  one  by  one,  and  look  at  them.  I  do  not 
mean  that  you  should  just  cast  a  glance  at  your  past  life,  and 
see  that  it  has  been  fuU  of  sins,  and  then  go  to  God  and  make 
a  Bort  of  genei'al  confession,  and  ask  for  pardon.  That  is  not 
the  way.  You  muat  take  them  up  one  by  one.  It  will  be  a 
good  thing  to  take  a  pen  and  paper,  as  you  go  over  them,  and 


88  HOW   TO   PROMOTE    A   BEVIVAL. 

write  them  down  as  they  occur  to  you.  Go  over  tnem  as 
carefully  as  a  merchant  goea  over  his  books  ;  and  as  often  as 
a  sin  comes  before  your  memory,  add  it  to  the  hst  General 
confessions  of  sin  will  never  do.  Your  sins  were  committed 
one  by  one  ;  and  as  far  as  you  can  come  at  them,  they  ought 
to  be  reviewed  and  repented  of  one  by  one.  Now  begin  ; 
and  take  up  first  what  are  commonly,  but  improperly ^  called 
your 

BINS  OF  OMISSION. 

1.  TngratUvde.  Take  this  sin,  for  instance,  and  write  down 
under  it  all  the  instances  you  can  remember,  wherein  you 
have  received  favors  from  God,  for  which  you  have  never  ex- 
ercised gratitude.  How  many  cases  can  you  remember? 
Some  remarkable  providence,  some  wonderful  turn  of  events, 
that  saved  you  from  ruin.  Set  down  the  instances  of  God's 
goodness  to  you  when  you  were  in  sin,  before  your  conver- 
fion.  Then  the  mercy  of  God  in  the  circumstances  of  your 
conversion,  for  which  you  have  never  been  half  thankful 
enough.  The  numerous  mercies  you  have  received  since. 
How  long  the  catalogue  of  instances,  where  your  ingratitude 
is  so  black  that  you  are  forced  to  hide  your  face  in  confusion  I 
Now  go  on  your  knees,  and  confess  them  one  by  one  to  God, 
and  ask  forgiveness.  The  very  act  of  confession,  by  the  laws 
of  suggestion,  will  bring  up  others  to  your  memory.  Put 
down  these.  Go  over  these  three  or  four  times  in  tliis  way, 
and  you  will  find  an  astonishing  amount  of  mercies,  for  which 
you  have  never  thanked  God.  Then  take  another  sin.  Let 
it  be, 

2.  Want  of  lave  to  God.  Write  that  down,  and  go  over  all 
the  instances  you  can  remember,  when  you  did  not  give  to 
the  blessed  God  that  hearty  love  which  you  ought. 

Think  how  grieved  and  alarmed  you  would  be,  if  you  di» 
covered  any  flagging  of  affection  for  you  in  your  wife,  hus- 
band, or  children  ;  rf  you  saw  somebody  else  engrossing  their 
hearts,  and  thoughts,  and  time.  Perhaps,  in  such  a  case,  you 
would  well  nigh  die  with  a  just  and  virtuous  jealousy.  Now, 
God  styles  himself  a  jealous  God  ;  and  have  you  not  given 
your  heart  to  other  loves  :  played  the  harlot,  and  infinitely 
offended  him  ? 

3.  Neglect  of  the  Bible.  Put  down  the  cases,  when  for  days, 
and  perhaps  for  weeks — yea,  it  may  be,  even  for  months  to- 
gether, you  had  no  pleasure  in  God's  word.  Perhaps  you  did 
not  read  a  chapter,  or  if  you  read  it,  it  was  in  a  way  that  was 


HOW   TO    PBOMOTH    A    REVIYAI*  89 

gtill  more  displeasing  to  God.  Many  people  read  orer  a  whole 
chapter  in  such  a  way,  that  if  they  were  put  under  oath  when 
fchey  have  done,  they  could  not  tell  what  they  have  been  read- 
ing. Wii  h  so  Hi^ie  attention  do  they  read,  that  they  cannot 
remember  where  iiiey  Luve  read  from  morning  till  evening, 
unless  they  put  in  a  string  or  turn  down  a  leal  This  demon- 
strates that  they  did  not  lay  to  heart  what  they  read,  that 
they  did  not  make  it  a  subject  of  reflection.  If  you  were 
reading  a  novel,  or  any  other  piece  of  intelligence  that  greatly 
interested  you,  would  you  not  remember  what  you  read  last  ? 
And  tlie  fact  that  you  fold  a  leaf  or  put  in  a  string,  demon- 
strates that  you  read  rather  as  a  task,  than  from  love  or  rev- 
erence for  the  word  of  God.  The  word  of  God  is  the  rule  of 
your  duty.  And  do  you  pay  so  Httle  regard  to  it  as  not  to 
remember  what  you  read  ?  If  so,  no  wonder  that  you  live 
so  at  random,  and  that  your  religion  is  such  a  miserable 
failure. 

4.  Unbdief.     Instances  in  which  you  have  virtually  charged 
%€  God  of  truth  with  lying,  by  your  unbehef  of  his  express 

promises  and  declarations.  God  has  promised  to  give  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him.  Now,  have  you  beUeved 
this  ?  Have  you  expected  him  to  answer  ?  Have  you  not 
virtually  said  in  your  heai-ts,  when  you  prayed  for  the  Holy 
Spirit,  "  I  do  not  believe  that  I  shall  receive  it  ?  "  If  you  have 
not  believed  nor  expected  you  should  receive  the  blessing, 
which  God  has  expressly  promised,  you  have  charged  him 
with  lying. 

5.  Neglect  of  prayer.  Times  when  you  omitted  secret  prayer, 
family  prayer,  and  prayer  meetings,  or  have  prayed  in  such  a 
way  as  more  grievously  to  offend  God,  than  to  have  neglected 
it  altogether. 

6.  Neglect  of  the  mecms  of  grace.  When  you  have  suffered 
trifling  excuses  to  prevent  your  attending  meetings,  have  neg- 
lected and  poured  contempt  upon  the  means  of  salvation, 
merely  from  disrelish  of  spiritual  duties. 

7.  The  manner  in  which  you  have  performed  those  duties — 
jvant  of  feeling — want  of  faith — worldly  frame  of  mind — s<? 
that  your  words  were  nothing  but  the  mere  chattering  of  a 
wret-ch,  that  did  not  deserve  that  God  should  feel  the  least 
care  for  him.  When  you  have  fallen  down  upon  your  knees, 
and  said  your  prayers,  in  such  an  unfeeling  and  careless  man- 
ner, that  if  you  had  been  put  under  oath  five  n  'nutes  after 
foa  left  your  closet,  you  could  not  have  told  what  you  had 
been  praying  for. 

8.  Yovjr  vxmi  of  love  for  the  souls  of  your  feUoio-m£rL     lionk 


10  HOW   TO    PROMOTE    A    REVIVAL.. 

round  upon  your  friends  and  relations,  and  remember  ho\* 
little  compassion  you  have  felt  for  them.  You  have  stood  bv 
and  seen  them  going  right  to  heU,  and  it  seems  as  though 
you  did  not  care  if  they  did.  How  many  days  have  there 
been,  in  which  you  did  not  make  their  condition  the  subject 
of  a  single  fervent  prayer,  or  even  an  ardent  desire  for  their 
salvation  ? 

9.  Your  want  of  care  for  the  heathen.  Perhaps  you  have  not 
eared  enough  for  them  to  attempt  to  learn  their  condition  ; 
perhaps  not  even  to  take  a  Missionary  paper.  Look  at  this, 
and  see  how  much  you  do  really  care  for  the  heathen,  and  set 
down  honestly  the  real  amount  of  your  feelings  for  them, 
and  your  desire  for  their  salvation.  Measure  your  desire  for 
their  salvation  by  the  self-denial  you  practise,  in  giving  of 
your  substance  to  send  them  the  Gospel  Do  you  deny  your- 
self even  the  hurtful  superfluities  of  life,  such  as  tea,  coJBfee, 
and  tobacco  ?  Do  you  reti-ench  your  style  of  Hving,  and  really 
subject  yourself  to  any  inconvenience  to  save  them  ?  Do  you 
daily  pray  for  them  in  your  closet  ?  Do  you  statedly  attend 
the  monthly  concert  ?  Are  you  from  month  to  month  laying 
by  something  to  put  into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord,  when  you 
go  up  to  pray  ?  If  you  are  not  doing  these  things,  and  if 
yoiu'  soul  is  not  agonized  for  the  poor  benighted  heathen, 
Why  are  you  such  a  hypocrite  as  to  pretend  to  be  a  Christian  ? 
Why,  your  profession  is  an  insult  to  Jesus  Christ ! 

10.  Your  neglect  of  family  duties.  How  you  have  lived  be- 
fore them,  how  you  have  prayed,  what  an  example  you  have 
set  before  them.  What  direct  efforts  do  you  habitually  make 
for  their  spiritual  good  ?    What  duty  have  you  not  neglected  ? 

IL  Neglect  of  social  duties. 

12.  Neglect  of  watchfulness  over  your  own  life.  Listances  in 
which  you  have  hurried  over  your  private  duties,  and  not 
taken  yourself  to  task,  nor  honestly  made  up  your  accounts 
with  God.  Where  you  have  entirely  neglected  to  watch  your 
conduct,  and  have  been  off  your  guard,  and  have  sinned  be- 
fore the  world,  and  before  the  church,  and  before  Go(L 

13.  Neglect  to  watch  over  your  brethren.  How  often  have  you 
broken  your  covenant,  that  you  would  watch  over  them  in 
fche  Lord !  How  httle  do  vou  know  or  care  about  the  state 
of  their  souls !  And  yet  you  are  under  a  solemn  oath  to  watch 
over  them,  ^^t  have  you  done  to  make  yourself  acquainted 
with  them  ?  How  many  of  them  have  you  interested  yourself 
for,  to  know  their  si)iritual  state  ?  Go  over  the  list,  and  wher- 
ever you  lind  there  has  been  a  neglect,  write  it  down.  How 
many  times  have  you  seen  your  brethren  growing  cold  in  reli 


HOW   TO    PKOMOTB    A    RETTVAL.  41 

gion,  and  have  not  spoken  to  them  about  it  ?  Tou  have  seen 
them  beginning  to  neglect  one  duty  after  another,  and  you  did 
not  reprove  them  in  a  brotherly  way.  You  have  seen  them 
falling  into  sin,  and  you  let  them  go  on.  And  yet  you  pretend 
to  love  them.  What  a  hypocrite  1  Would  you  see  your  wife 
or  child  going  into  disgrace,  or  into  the  fire,  and  hold  your 
peace  ?  No,  you  would  not.  What  do  you  think  of  yourself 
then,  to  pretend  to  love  Christians,  and  to  love  Christ,  while 
you  can  see  them  going  into  disgrace,  and  say  nothing  to 
them? 

14.  Neglect  of  self-denial.  There  are  many  professors  who 
are  willing  to  do  almost  any  thing  in  religion,  that  does  not 
requu-e  self-denial.  But  when  they  are  called  to  do  any  thing 
that  requii^es  them  to  deny  themselves.  Oh !  that  is  too  much. 
They  think  they  are  doing  a  great  deal  for  God,  and  doing 
about  as  much  as  he  ought  to  ask  in  reason,  if  they  are  only 
doing  what  they  can  do  about  as  well  as  not ;  but  they  are 
not  willing  to  deny  themselves  any  comfort  or  convenience 
whatever,  for  the  sake  of  sei-ving  the  Lord.  They  will  not 
willingly  suffer  reproach  for  the  name  of  Christ  Nor  will 
they  deny  themselves  the  luxuries  of  life,  to  save  a  world 
fi-om  heU.  So  far  are  they  from  remembering  that  self- 
denial  is  a  amdiHon  qfdiscipleship,  that  they  do  not  know  what 
self-denial  is.  They  never  have  really  denied  themselves  a 
riband  or  a  pin  for  Christ,  and  for  the  Gospel.  Oh,  how  soon 
such  i^rofessors  wiU  be  in  hell!  Some  are  giving  of  thei? 
abundance,  and  are  giving  much,  and  ai'e  ready  to  complain 
that  other's  don't  give  more  ;  when,  in  truth,  they  do  not  give 
any  thing  that  they  need,  any  thing  that  they  could  enjoy,  if 
they  kept  it  They  only  give  of  their  sui'plus  wealth  ;  and 
perhaps  that  poor  woman,  who  puts  in  twelve  and  a-half 
cents  at  the  monthly  concert,  has  exercised  more  self-denial, 
than  they  have  in  giving  thousands. 

From  these  we  turn  to 


SINS    OF    COMMISSION. 

1.  Worldly  mindedness.  What  has  been  the  state  of  your 
heart  in  regard  to  your  worldly  possessions  ?  Have  you 
looked  at  them  as  really  yours — as  if  you  had  a  right  to  dis- 
pose of  them  as  your  own,  according  to  your  own  will  ?  If 
you  have,  ^Tite  that  dowTi.  If  you  have  loved  property,  and 
sought  after  it  for  its  own  sake,  or  to  gratify  lust  or  ambition, 
or  a  worldlj'  spuit,  or  to  lay  it  up  for  your  families,  you  have 
sinned,  and  must,  repent 


4S  «0W  TO   PBOlfOTB  .  ^VIVAJU 

2.  Pride.  Recollect  all  the  instances  you  can,  in  which 
you  have  detected  yourself  in  the  exercise  of  pride.  Vanity 
is  a  particular  form  of  pride.  How  many  times  have  you  de- 
tected youi'self  in  consulting  vanity,  about  your  dress  and  ap- 
pearance? How  many  times  have  you  thought  more,  and 
taken  more  pains,  and  spent  more  time,  about  decorating 
your  body  to  go  to  church,  than  you  have  about  preparing 
your  mind  for  the  worship  of  God  ?  You  have  gone  to  the 
house  of  God  caring  more  how  you  appear  outwardly  in  the 
sight  of  mortal  men,  than  how  your  soul  appears  in  the  sight 
of  the  heari>searching  God.  You  have  in  fact  set  up  your- 
self to  be  worshipped  by  them,  rather  than  prepared  to  wor- 
ship God  yourself.  You  came  to  divide  the  worship  of  God*s 
house,  to  draw  off  the  attention  of  God's  people  to  look  at 
your  pretty  appearance.  It  is  in  vain  to  pretend  now,  that 
you  don't  care  any  thing  about  having  people  look  at  you. 
Be  honest  about  it  Would  you  take  all  this  pains  about 
your  looks  if  every  body  was  blind  ? 

3.  Envy.  Look  at  the  cases  in  which  you  were  envious  at 
those  who  you  thought  were  above  you  in  any  respect.  Or 
perhaps  you  have  envied  those  who  have  been  more  talented 
or  more  useful  than  yourself.  Have  you  not  so  envied  some, 
that  you  have  been  pained  to  hear  them  praised?  It  has 
been  more  agreeable  to  you  to  dwell  upon  their  faults,  than 
upon  their  virtues,  upon  their  failures,  than  upon  their  suc- 
cess. Be  honest  with  yourself,  and  if  you  have  harbored  this 
spirit  of  hell,  repent  deeply  before  God,  or  he  vM  nemr  for- 
give you, 

4.  Gensoruyusness.  Instances  in  which  you  have  had  a 
bitter  spirit,  and  spoken  of  Christians  in  a  manner  entirely 
devoid  of  charity  and  love — charity,  which  requires  you  al- 
ways to  hope  the  best  the  case  will  admit,  and  to  put  the  best 
construction  upon  any  ambiguous  conduct. 

6.  Slander.  The  times  you  have  spoken  behind  people's 
backs  of  their  faults,  real  or  supposed,  of  members  of  the 
church  or  others,  unnecessarily  or  without  good  reason.  This 
is  slander.  You  need  not  he  to  be  guilty  of  slander; — to  teU 
the  truth  with  the  design  to  injure,  is  slander. 

6.  Leviiy.  How  often  have  you  trifled  before  God,  as  you 
would  not  have  dared  to  trifle  in  the  presence  of  an  earthly 
sovereign  ?  You  have  either  been  an  Atheist,  and  forgotten 
that  there  was  a  C^od,  or  have  had  less  respect  for  him,  and 
his  presence,  thar  you  would  have  had  for  an  earthly  judge. 

7.  Lying.  XJn^  rstand  now  what  lying  is.  Any  species  of 
designed  deceptio^    for  a  selfish  reason  is  lying.     If  the  Je- 


HOW   TO    PBOMOITb    A    RurVTVAX.  49 

eeptdon  is  not  a  design  it  is  not  lying.  But  if  yon  design  to 
make  an  impression  contrary  to  the  naked  truth,  you  lie 
Put  down  all  those  cases  you  can  recollect.  Don't  call  them 
by  any  soft  name.  God  calls  them  LIES,  and  charges  you 
with  LYING,  and  you  had  better  charge  yourself  correctly. 
How  innumerable  are  the  falsehoods  perpetrated  every  day 
in  business,  and  in  social  intercourse,  by  words,  and  looks, 
and  actions — designed  to  make  an  impression  on  others  con- 
trary to  the  tnith  for  selfish  reasona 

8.  Cheating.  Set  down  aU  the  cases  in  which  you  have 
dealt  with  an  individual,  and  done  to  him  that  which  you 
would  not  hke  to  have  done  to  you.  Thai  is  cheating.  God 
has  laid  down  a  rule  in  the  case  ;  "  All  things  whatsover  ye 
would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them." 
That  is  the  rule  ;  and  now  if  you  have  not  done  so  you  are 
a  cheat.  IVIind,  the  rule  is  not  that  you  should  do  what  you 
Blight  reasonably  expect  them  to  do  to  you.  That  is  a  rule 
which  would  admit  of  every  degree  of  wickedness.  But  it  is 
"As  ye  WOULD  they  should  do  to  you." 

9.  Hypocrisy.  For  instance,  in  your  prayers  and  confessions 
to  God-  Set  down  the  instances  in  which  you  have  prayed 
for  things  you  did  not  really  want  And  the  evidence  is, 
that  when  you  have  done  praying,  you  could  not  tell  what  you 
had  prayed  for.  How  many  times  have  you  confessed  sins 
that  you  did  not  mean  to  break  off^  and  when  you  had  no 
solemn  purpose  not  to  repeat  them  ?  Yes,  have  confessed 
sins  when  you  knew  you  as  much  expected  to  go  and  rei)eat 
them  as  you  expected  to  Hve. 

10.  Bobbing  Ood.     Instances  in  which  you  have  misspent 

Cr  timeTana  squandered  hours  which  God  gave  you  to  serve 
and  save  souls,  in  vain  amusements  or  fooh^  conversa- 
tion, reading  novels,  or  doing  nothing  ;  cases  where  you  have 
misapplied  your  talents  and  powers  of  mind  ;  where  you  have 
squandered  money  on  your  lusts,  or  spent  it  for  things  you  did 
not  need,  and  which  neither  contributed  to  your  health,  com- 
fort or  usefulness.     Perhaps  some  of  you  who  are  here  to-  j 
night  have  laid_ out. Gpd^s„. money  faiL^BACCO.     I  will  notl 
speak  of  rum,  for  I  presume  there  is  no  professor  of  reHgion  j 
here  to-night  that  would  drink  runL     I  hope  there  is  no  one  I 
that  uses  the  filthy  poison,  tobacco.     Think  of  a  professor  of/ 
religion,  using  God's  money  to  poison  himself  with  tobaccojl 

11.  Bad  temper.  Perhaps  you  have  abused  your  wife,  or 
your  children,  or  your  family,  or  servants,  or  neighbon 
Write  it  all  down. 

12.  Hinderitip  others  fn;7n  being  useful.     Perhaps  you  baye 


««  HOW   TO    PROMOTE    A    REVIVAU 

weakened  their  influence  by  insiauations  agaiQst  them.  Ton 
have  not  only  robbed  God  of  your  own  talents,  but  tied  the 
hands  of  somebody  else.  What  a  wicked  sei'vant  is  he  that 
loiters  himself,  and  hinders  the  rest !  This  is  done  sometimes 
by  taking  their  time  needlessly  ;  sometimes  by  destroying 
Chiistian  confidence  in  them.  Thus  you  have  played  into  the 
hands  of  Satan,  and  not  only  showed  yourself  an  idle  vag» 
bond,  but  prevented  others  from  working. 
,  If  you  find  you  have  committed  a  fault  agaiust  an  individual, 
and  that  individual  is  within  your  reach,  go  and  confess  it  im- 
mediately, and  get  that  out  of  the  way.  If  the  individual  you 
have  injured  is  too  far  off  for  you  to  go  and  see  him,  sit  down 
and  write  him  a  letter,  and  confess  the  injury,  pay  the  postage^ 
and  put  it  into  the  mail  immediately.  I  say,  pay  the  postage, 
or  othermse  you  will  only  make  the  matter  worse.  You  will 
add  to  the  former  injury,  by  making  him  a  bill  of  expensa 
The  man  that  wintes  a  letter  on  his  own  business,  and  sends  it 
to  another  without  paying  the  postage,  is  dishonest,  and  has 
cheated  him  out  of  so  much.  And  if  he  would  cheat  a  man 
out  of  a  sixpence  or  shilling,  when  the  temptation  is  so  small, 
what  would  he  not  do  were  the  temptation  greater,  if  he 
had  the  prospect  of  impunity  ?  If  you  have  defrauded  any 
body,  send  the  money,  the  fidl  amount  and  the  interest. 

Go  thoroughly  to  work  in  all  this.  Go  now.  Don't  put  it 
off ;  that  wUl  only  make  the  matter  worse.  Confess  to  God 
those  sins  that  have  been  committed  against  God,  and  to  man 
those  sins  that  have  been  committed  against  man.  Don't 
think  of  getting  off  by  going  round  the  stumbling  blocks. 
Take  them  up  out  of  the  way.  In  breaking  up  your  fallow 
ground,  you  must  remove  every  obstruction.  Things  may  be 
left  that  you  may  think  httle  things,  and  you  may  wonder 
why  you  do  not  feel  as  you  wish  to  in  religion,  when  the  rea- 
son is  that  your  proud  and  carnal  mmd  has  covered  up  some- 
thing which  God  required  you  to  confess  and  remove.  Break 
up  all  the  ground  and  turn  it  over.  Do  not  balk  it,  as  the 
fsmners  say;  do  not  turn  aside  for  little  difficulties  ;  drive  the 
plow  right  through  them,  beam  deep,  and  turn  the  ground 
all  up,  so  that  it  may  all  be  mellow  and  soft,  and  fit  to  re- 
ceive the  seed  and  bear  fruit  a  hundred  fold 

When  you  have  gone  over  your  whole  history  in  this  way, 
thoroughly,  if  you  wiQ  then  go  over  the  ground  the  second 
time,  and  give  your  solemn  and  fixed  attention  to  it,  you  will 
find  that  the  things  you  have  put  down  wiU  suggest  other 
things  of  which  you  have  been  gmlty,  cormected  with  them, 
or  near  them.     Then  go  over  it  a  third  time,  and  you  wili 


xtoW  TO    FKOMOTE    A    REVIVAL.  4* 

recollect  other  things  connected  with  these.  And  j'ou  will 
find  in  the  end  that  you  can  remember  an  amount  of  your 
history,  and  pai-ticular  actions,  even  iu  this  life,  which  you 
did  not  think  you  should  remember  m  eternity.  Unless  you 
do  take  up  your  suis  in  this  way,  and  consider  them  in  detail, 
one  by  one,  you  can  fonn  no  idea  of  the  amoimt  of  your  sins. 
You  should  go  over  it  as  thoroughly  and  as  carefully,  and  as 
solemnly,  as  you  would  if  you  were  just  prei^aring  yourself 
for  the  judgment 

As  you  go  over  the  catalogue  of  your  sins,  be  sure  to  resolve 
upon  present  and  entire  reformation.  Wherever  you  find  any 
thing  wrong,  resolve  at  once,  in  the  strength  of  God,  to  sia  no 
more  in  that  way.  It  will  be  of  no  benefit  to  examine  your- 
self, unless  you  determine  to  amend  id  every  particular  that 
you  find  wTong  in  heart,  temper,  or  conduct. 

If  you  find,  as  you  go  on  with  this  duty,  that  your  mind  is 
still  aU  dark,  cast  about  you,  and  you  will  find  there  is  some 
reason  for  the  Spmt  of  God  to  depart  from  you.  You  have 
not  been  fidthful  and  thorough.  In  the  progi'ess  of  such  a 
work  you  have  got  to  do  violence  to  yoiu-self,  and  bring  your- 
self as  a  rational  being  up  to  this  work,  with  the  Bible  before 
you,  and  try  yoiu*  heart  till  you  do  feel  You  need  not  expect 
tliat  God  will  work  a  miracle  for  you  to  break  up  your  fallow 
ground-  It  is  to  be  done  by  means.  Fasten  youi*  attention 
to  the  subject  of  your  sins.  You  cannot  look  at  youi*  sins  long 
and  thoroughly,  and  see  how  bad  they  are,  without  feehng, 
and  feeling  deeply.  Experience  abimdantly  proves  the  benefit 
of  going  over  our  history  in  this  way.  Set  youi'self  to  the 
work  now  ;  resolve  that  you  never  will  stop  till  you  find  you 
can  pray.  You  never  will  have  the  spirit  of  prayer,  till  you 
examine  yourself,  and  confess  your  sius,  and  break  up  your 
fallow  gi'ound.  You  never  will  have  the  Spirit  of  God  dweU- 
iog  in  you,  till  you  have  unraveled  this  whole  mystery  of  in- 
iquity, and  spread  out  your  sins  before  God.  Let  there  be  this 
deep  work  of  repentance,  and  full  confession,  this  breaking 
down  before  God,  and  you  wiU  have  as  much  of  the  spirit  of 
pi*ayer  as  your  body  can  bear  up  under.  The  reason  why  so 
lew  Christians  know  any  thing  about  the  spmt  of  prayer,  is 
because  they  never  would  take  the  pains  to  examine  themselves 
properly,  and  so  never  knew  what  it  was  to  have  their  hearts 
all  broken  up  in  this  way. 

You  see  I  have  only  begun  to  lay  open  this  subject  to-night 
I  want  to  lay  it  out  before  you,  lq  the  course  of  these  lectures, 
80  that  if  you  \\tlQ  begia  and  go  on  to  do  as  I  say,  the  results 
will  be  just  as  certain  as  they  are  when  the  fanner  breaks  ur 


46  HOW   TO    PEOMOTB    A    REVIVA 

a  fallow  field,  and  mellows  it,  and  sows  his  grain.  It  will  be 
so,  if  you  will  only  begin  in  this  way,  and  hold  on  till  all  your 
hardened  and  callous  hearts  break  up. 

EEMAKKS. 

1.  It  will  do  no  good  to  preach  to  you  while  your  hearts  are 
in  this  hardened,  and  waste,  and  fallow  state.  The  farmel 
might  just  as  well  sow  his  grain  on  the  rocL  It  will  bring 
forth  no  fruit  This  is  the  reason  why  there  are  so  many 
fruitless  professors  in  the  church,  and  why  there  is  so  much 
outside  machinery,  and  so  httle  deep-toned  feeling  in  the 
church.  Look  at  the  Sabbath-school  for  instance,  and  see  how 
much  machinery  there  is,  and  how  little  of  the  power  of  godli- 
ness. If  you  go  on  in  this  way,  the  word  of  God  will  continue 
to  harden  you,  and  you  will  grow  worse  and  worse,  just  as  the 
rain  and  snow  on  an  old  fallow  field  makes  the  turf  thicker, 
and  the  clods  stronger. 

2.  See  why  so  much  preaching  is  wasted,  and  worse  than 
wasted-  It  is  because  the  church  will  not  break  up  their  fal- 
low ground.  A  i^reacher  may  wear  out  his  life,  and  do  very 
little  good,  while  there  are  so  many  stony^'ound  hearers,  who 
have  never  had  their  fallow  gTound  broken  up.  They  are  only 
half  converted,  and  their  religion  is  rather  a  change  of  opinion 
than  a  change  of  the  feeling  of  their  hearts.  There  is  mechani- 
cal rehgion  enough,  but  very  little  that  looks  like  deep  heart- 
work. 

3.  Professors  of  religion  should  never  satisfy  themselves,  or 
expect  a  revival,  just  by  starting  out  of  their  slumbers,  and 
blustering  about,  and  making  a  noise,  and  talking  to  sinners. 
They  must  get  their  fallow  ground  broken  up.  It  is  utterly 
unphilosophical  to  think  of  getting  engaged  in  rehgion  in  thia 
way.  If  your  fallow  ground  is  broken  up,  then  the  way  to  get 
more  feelmg,  ia  to  go  out  and  see  sinners  on  the  road  to  hell, 
and  talk  to  them,  and  guide  inquiring  souls,  and  you  will  get 
more  feelmg.  You  may  get  into  an  excitement  without  this 
breaking  up  ;  you  may  show  a  kind  of  zeal,  but  it  will  not 
last  long,  and  it  will  not  take  hold  of  sinners,  unless  your 
hearts  are  broken  up.  The  reason  is,  that  you  go  about  it 
mechanically,  and  have  not  broken  up  your  fallow  ground. 

«.  And  now,  finally,  will  you  break  up  your  fallow  ground  ? 
WiU  you  enter  upon  the  cx)urse  now  pointed  out,  and  perse- 
vere till  you  are  thoroughly  awake  ?  If  you  fail  here,  if  you 
do  not  do  this,  and  get  prepared,  you  can  go  no  further  with 
me  in  this  course  of  lectures.     I  have  gone  with  you  as  far  aa 


HOW  TO   PEOMOTE    A   EEVIVAL.  4Y 

ft  is  of  any  use  to  go,  until  your  fallow  ground  is  broken  up. 
Now,  you  must  make  thorough  work  upon  this  jjoint,  or  all  1 
have  further  to  say  will  do  you  Httle  good.  Nay,  it  will  only 
hai'den  and  make  you  worse.  If,  when  next  Friday  night  ar- 
rives,  it  finds  you  with  unbroken  hearts,  you  need  not  expect 
to  be  benefited  by  what  I  shall  say.  If  you  do  not  set  about 
this  work  immediately,  I  shall  take  it  for  granted  that  you  do 
not  mean  to  be  revived,  that  you  have  forsaken  your  minister, 
tmd  mean  to  let  him  go  up  to  battle  alone.  If  you  do  not  do 
this,  I  charge  yoi-«  with  having  forsaken  Christ,  with  refusing 
to  repent  and  do  your  first  work.  But  if  you  will  be  prepared 
to  enter  upon  the  work,  I  propose,  God  willing,  next  Friday 
^Tening,  to  lead  you  into  the  work  of  saving  sinners. 


LECTUEE  IV. 


PEEVAILINa    PRAYEB, 


Tbxt.— The  effectual,  ferrent  prayer  of   a    righteous    man  availeth 
tAJoa  V.  16. 

The  last  lecture  referred  principally  to  the  confession  of  sin. 
To-night  my  remarks  will  be  chiefly  confined  to  the  subject  of 
intercession,  or  prayer.  There  are  two  kinds  of  means  requi- 
site to  promote  a  revival ;  one  to  influence  men,  the  other  to 
influence  God.  The  truth  is  employed  to  influence  men,  and 
prayer  to  move  God.  When  I  speak  of  moving  God,  I  do  not 
mean  that  God's  mind  is  changed  by  prayer,  or  that  his  dis* 
position  or  character  is  changed  But  prayer  produ  ces  such 
a  change  in  its  and  fulfils  such  conditions  as  renders  it  cc-nsis- 
tent  for  God  to  do  as  it  would  not  be  consistent  for  him  to  do 
otherwise.  When  a  sinner  repents,  that  state  of  mind  makes 
it  proper  for  God  to  forgive  him.  God  has  always  been  ready 
to  forgive  him  on  that  condition,  so  that  when  the  sinner 
changes  his  mind  towards  God,  it  reqmres  no  change  of  feel- 
ing in  God  to  pardon  him.  It  is  the  sinner's  repentance  that 
renders  his  forgiveness  proper,  and  is  the  occasion  of  God's 
acting  as  he  does.  So  when  Christians  offer  effectual  prayer, 
their  state  of  mind  renders  it  proper  for  God  to  answer  them. 
He  was  always  ready  to  bestow  the  blessing,  on  the  condition 
that  they  felt  right,  and  offered  the  right  kind  of  prayer. 
Whenever  this  change  takes  place  in  them,  and  they  offer  the 
right  kind  of  prayer,  then  God,  without  any  change  in  him- 
self, can  answer  them.  When  we  offer  effectual  fervent  prayer 
for  others,  the  fact  that  we  offer  such  prayer  renders  it  con- 
sistent for  him  to  do  what  we  pray  for,  when  otherwise  it 
would  not  have  been  consistent 

Prayer  is  an  essential  link  in  the  chain  of  causes  that  lead 
to  a  revival ;  as  much  so  as  truth  is.  Some  have  zealously 
used  truth  to  convert  men,  and  laid  very  httle  stress  on  prayer. 
They  have  preached,  and  talked,  and  distributed  tracts  with 
great  zeal,  and  then  wondered  that  they  had  sc  Jittle  success. 
And  the  reason  was,  that  they  forgot  to  use  the  other  branch 
cf  the  means,  effectual  prayer.  They  overlooked  the  fact,  that 
truth  by  itself  will  never  produce  the  effect,  without  the  Spirit 
(48) 


PREVAILING    PRAYER.  49 

of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit  is  given  in  answer  to  earnest 
prayer. 

Sometimes  it  happens  that  those  who  are  the  most  enga^od 
in  employing  truth,  are  not  the  most  engaged  in  prayer.  This 
is  always  unhappy. — ^For  unless  they,  or  somebody  else  have 
the  spirit  of  prayer,  the  truth  by  itself  will  do  nothing  but 
harden  men  in  impenitence.  Probably  in  the  day  of  judge- 
ment it  will  be  found  that  nothing  is  ever  done  by  the  truth, 
used  ever  so  zealously,  unless  there  is  a  spirit  of  prayer  some- 
where in  connection  with  the  presentation  of  truth. 

Others  err  on  the  other  side.  Not  that  they  lay  too  much 
stress  on  prayer.  But  they  overlook  the  fact  that  prayer 
might  be  offered  for  ever,  by  itself,  and  nothing  would  be 
done.  Because  sinners  are  not  converted  by  direct  contact 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  by  the  truth,  employed  as  a  means. 
To  expect  the  conversion  of  sinners  by  prayer  alone,  without 
the  emplo}TQent  of  truth,  is  to  tempt  God. 

The  subject  of  discourse  this  evening,  is 

PREVAILESQ  PRATER. 

L  I  propose  to  show  what  is  effectual  or  prevailing  prayer, 

EL  State  some  of  the  most  essential  attributes  of  prevail- 
ing prayer. 

IIL  Give  some  reasons  why  God  requires  this  kind  of 
prayer. 

rV.  Show  that  such  prayer  will  avail  much. 

L  I  proceed  to  show  what  is  prevailing  prayer. 

1.  Effectual,  prevailing  prayer,  does  not  consist  in  benevo- 
lent desii-es  merely.  Benevolent  desires  are  doubtless  pleas- 
ing to  God.  Such  desires  pervade  heaven,  and  are  found  in 
all  holy  beings.  But  they  are  not  prayer.  Men  may  have 
these  desires  as  the  angels  and  glorified  spirits  have  them. 
But  this  is  not  the  effectual,  prevailing  prayer,  spoken  of  in 
the  text.     Prevailing  prayer  is  something  more  than  this. 

2.  Prevailing,  or  effectual  prayer,  is  that  prayer  which  ob- 
tains the  blessing  that  it  seeks.  It  is  that  prayer  which  ef- 
fectually moves  God.  Tlie  very  idea  of  effectual  prayer  is,  that 
it  effects  its  object. 

IL  I  will  state  some  of  the  most  essential  attributes  of  pre- 
vailing prayer.  I  cannot  detail  in  full  aU  the  things  that  go 
to  make  up  prevailing  prayer.  But  I  will  mention  some 
things  that  are  essential  to  it ;  some  things  which  a  person 
'^ust  do  in  order  to  prevail  in  prayer. 

\.  He  mitst  pray  for  a  definite  object     He  need  not 


50  PREVAILING   PRATER. 

to  offer  such  prayer,  if  he  prays  at  random,  without  any  di» 
tinct  or  defiuite  object.  He  must  have  an  object  distinctly  be- 
fore his  mind.  I  speak  now  of  secret  prayer.  Many  people 
go  away  into  their  closets,  because  they  must  say  their  prayers. 
The  time  has  come  that  they  are  in  the  habit  of  going  by 
themselves  for  prayer,  in  the  morning,  or  at  noon,  or  at  what- 
ever time  of  day  it  may  be.  And  instead  of  having  any  thing 
to  say,  any  definite  object  before  their  mind,  they  fall  down 
on  their  knees,  and  pray  for  just  what  comes  into  their  minds, 
for  everything  that  floats  in  their  imagination  at  the  time, 
and  when  they  have  done,  they  can  not  tell  hardly  a  word 
of  what  they  have  been  praying  for.  This  is  not  effectual 
prayer.  What  should  v,  e  think  of  any  body  who  should  try 
to  move  a  legislature  so,  and  should  say,  "  Now  it  is  winter, 
and  the  legislature  is  in  session,  and  it  is  time  to  send  up 
petitions,"  and  should  go  up  to  the  legislature  and  petition 
at  random,  without  any  definite  object  ?  Do  you  think  such 
petitions  would  move  the  legislatiu-e  ? 

A  man  must  have  some  definite  object  before  his  mind. 
He  cannot  pray  effectually  for  a  variety  of  objects  at  once. 
The  mind  of  man  is  so  constituted  that  it  cannot  fasten  its 
desires  intensely  upon  many  things  at  the  same  time.  All 
the  instances  of  effectual  prayer  recorded  in  the  Bible  were 
of  this  kind.  Wherever  you  see  that  the  blessing  sought  for 
in  prayer  was  attained,  you  will  find  that  the  prayer  which 
was  offered  was  prayer  for  that  definite  object. 

2.  Prayer,  to  be  effectual,  must  be  in  accordance  with  the 
revealed  will  of  God.  To  pray  for  things  contrary  to  the 
revealed  will  of  God,  is  to  tempt  God.  There  are  three  ways 
in  which  God's  wiU  is  revealed  to  men  for  their  guidance  in 
prayer. 

(1.)  By  express  promises  or  predictions  in  the  Bible,  that 
he  wiQ  give  or  do  certaia  things.  Either  by  express  prom- 
ises iu  regard  to  psirticular  thiags,  or  promises  ia  general 
terms,  so  that  we  may  apply  them  to  particular  things.  For 
instance,  there  is  this  promise  :  "  Whatsoever  things  ye  de- 
sire, when  ye  pray,  beheve  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall 
have  them." 

(2.)  Sometimes  God  reveals  his  wiU  by  his  providence. 
When  he  makes  it  clear  that  such  and  such  events  are  about 
to  take  place,  it  is  as  much  a  revelation  as  if  he  had  written  it 
in  his  word.  It  would  be  impossible  to  reveal  eveiy  thing  in 
the  Bible.  But  God  often  makes  it  dear  to  those  who  have 
spiritual  discernment,  that  it  is  his  will  to  grant  such  and 
each  blessings 


PB2YA.ILIN0   PBATSB«  il 

(3.)  By  Ills  Spirit  When  God's  people  are  at  a  loss  what 
Jo  pray  for,  agreeable  to  his  will,  his  Spirit  often  instructs 
them.  Where  there  is  no  particuhir  revelation,  and  provi- 
dence leaves  it  dark,  and  we  know  not  what  to  pray  for  as  we 
ought,  we  are  expressly  told,  that  "the  Spirit  also  heipeth 
our  iniirmities,"  and  "the  Spirit  itself  maketh  intercession  for 
us  with  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered."  A  great  deal  has 
been  said  on  the  subject  of  praying  in  faith  for  things  not  re- 
Tealed.  It  is  objected,  that  this  doctrine  implies  a  new  reve- 
lation. I  answer,  that,  new  or  old,  it  is  the  very  revelation 
that  Jehovah  says  he  makea  It  is  just  as  plain  here,  as  if  it 
were  now  revealed  by  a  voice  from  heaven,  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  helps  the  people  of  God  to  pray  according  to  the  wiU  of 
God,  when  they  themselves  know  not  what  thmgs  they  ought 
to  pray  for.  "  And  he  that  searcheth  the  heart  knoweth  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit,"  because  he  maketh  intercession  for  the 
saints  according  to  the  will  of  God,  and  he  leads  Chris- 
tians to  pray  for  just  those  things,  with  groanings  that 
cannot  be  uttered-  When  neither  the  word  nor  providence 
enables  them  to  decide,  then  let  them  be  filled  with  the  Spirit, 
as  God  commands  them  to  be.  He  says,  "  Be  ye  filled  with 
the  Si3irii"  And  He  will  lead  their  minds  to  such  things  aa 
God  is  willing  to  grant. 

3.  To  pray  effectually,  you  must  pray  with  submission  to 
the  will  of  God-  Do  not  confound  submission  with  indiffer- 
ence. No  two  things  are  more  unlike.  I  once  knew  an  indi- 
vidual come  where  there  was  a  revival.  He  himself  wag 
cold,  and  did  not  enter  iato  the  spirit  of  it,  and  had  no 
Bl^irit  of  prayer  ;  and  when  he  heard  the  brethren  pray  as  if 
they  could  not  be  denied,  he  was  shocked  at  their  bold- 
ness, and  kept  all  the  time  insisting  on  the  impoi-tance  of 
praying  with  submission  ;  when  it  was  as  plain  as  any  thing 
could  be,  that  he  confounded  submission  with  indifference. 

So  agaio,  do  not  confound  submission  in  prayer  with  a 
i?enftrftJ  confidence  that  God  will  do  what  is  right.  It  ia 
^.-c-uper  to  have  this  confidence  that  God  will  do  what  is  right 
m  all  thiQgs.  But  this  is  a  different  thing  from  submission. 
What  I  mean  by  submission  in  prayer,  is,  acquiescence  in  the 
revealed  will  of  God.  To  submit  to  any  command  of  God  is 
to  obey  it  Submission  to  some  supposable  or  possible,  but 
secret  decree  of  God,  is  not  submission.  To  submit  to  any 
dispensation  of  Providence  is  impossible  till  it  comes.  For 
we  never  can  know  what  the  event  is  to  be,  till  it  takee 
placa  Take  a  case  :  David,  when  his  child  was  sick,  wa« 
diafcressed,  and  agonized  in  prayer,  and  refused  to  be  com 


SI  PREVAILING    PBATEB. 

forted.  He  took  it  so  much  to  heart,  that  when  the  child 
died,  his  servants  were  afraid  to  tell  him  the  child  was  dead, 
for  fear  he  would  vex  himself  still  worse.  But  as  soon  as  he 
heard  that  the  child  was  dead,  he  laid  aside  his  grief,  and 
arose,  and  asked  for  food,  and  ate  and  di*ank  as  usual.  \VhilG 
the  child  was  yet  alive,  he  did  not  know  what  was  the  will  of 
God,  and  so  he  fasted  and  prayed,  and  said,  "  Who  can  tell 
whether  God  will  be  gracious  to  me,  that  my  child  may  hve  ?** 
He  did  not  know  but  that  his  prayer  and  agony  was  i^ie  very 
thing  on  which  it  turned,  whether  the  cliild  was  to  hve  or 
not  He  thought  that  if  he  hmnbled  himself  and  entreated 
Gc^d,  perhaps  God  would  spare  him  this  blow.  But  as  soon 
as  God's  will  api3eai-ed,  and  the  child  was  dead,  he  bowed  like 
a  saint.  He  seemed  not  only  to  acquiesce,  but  actually  to 
take  a  satisfaction  in  it  "I  shaJl  go  to  him,  but  he  shaU  not 
return  to  me."  This  was  true  submission.  He  reasoned 
correctly  in  the  case.  While  he  had  no  revelation  of  the  will 
of  God,  he  did  not  know  but  what  the  child's  recovery  de- 
pended on  his  prayer.  But  when  he  had  a  revelation  of  the 
will  of  God,  he  submitted.  While  the  will  of  God  is  not 
kno^vn,  to  submit,  without  prayer,  is  tempting  God.  Per- 
haps, and  for  aught  you  know,  the  fact  of  your  offering  the 
right  kind  of  prayer,  may  be  the  thing  on  which  the  event 
turns.  In  the  case  of  an  impenitent  hiend,  the  very  condi- 
tion on  which  he  is  to  be  saved  from  hell,  may  be  the  ferven- 
cy and  importunity  of  your  prayer  for  that  individual 

4  Effectual  prayer  for  an  object  imphes  a  desire  for  that 
object  commensurate  with  its  importance.  If  a  person  truly 
desires  any  blessing,  his  desires  \vill  bear  some  proportion  to 
the  greatness  of  the  blessing.  The  desires  of  the  Lord  Jesua 
Christ  for  the  blessing  he  prayed  for,  were  amazingly  strong, 
and  amounted  even  to  a,gony.  If  the  desire  for  an  object  is 
strong,  and  is  a  benevolent  desire,  and  the  thing  not  con- 
trary to  the  will  and  providence  of  God,  the  presumption  is, 
that  it  will  be  granted.  There  are  two  reasons  for  this  pre- 
gumption. 

(1.)  From  the  general  benevolence  of  God.  If  it  is  a  de- 
sirable object ;  if,  so  far  as  we  can  see,  it  would  be  an  act  of 
benevolence  in  God  to  gi-ant  it,  his  general  benevolence  is 
presumptive  evidence  tliat  he  vnU  gi-ant  it 

(2.)  If  you  find  yourself  exercised  with  benevolent  de- 
sires for  any  object,  there  is  a  strong  presumj^tion  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  exciting  these  very  deshes,  and  stii-ring  you 
up  to  pray  for  that  object,  so  that  it  may  be  granted  in  an 
swer  to  prayer.      In   such  a   case  no   degree  of  desire  or 


fKEVAILINQ    PKAYJCa.  62 

bnportunity  in  prayer  is  improper.  A  Christian  may  eome 
np,  as  it  were,  and  take  hold  of  the  hand  of  God.  See  the 
case  of  Jacob,  when  he  exclaimed,  in  an  agony  of  desire,  "  I 
will  not  let  thee  go,  except  thou  bless  me."  Was  God  dis- 
pleased with  his  boldness  and  importunity  ?  Not  at  all ;  but 
he  granted  him  the  very  thing  he  prayed  for.  So  in  the  case 
of  Moses.  God  said  to  Moses,  "Let  me  alone,  that  I  may 
destroy  them,  and  blot  out  their  name  fi'om  under  heaven, 
and  I  will  make  of  thee  a  nation  mightier  and  greater  than 
tuey."  ^Vhat  did  Moses  do?  Did  he  stand  aside  and  lei 
God  do  as  he  said  ?  No,  his  mind  runs  back  to  llie  Egyp- 
tians, and  he  thinks  how  they  will  triumph.  "  Wherefore 
should  the  Egyptians  say,  For  mischief  did  he  bring  them 
out"  It  seemed  as  if  he  k)ok  hold  of  the  uph^od  hand  of 
God,  to  avei-t  the  blow.  Did  God  rebuke  hmi  for  his  inter- 
ference, and  tell  him  he  had  no  basiness  to  interfere  ?  No ; 
it  seemed  as  if  he  was  unable  to  deny  any  thing  to  such  im- 
portunity, and  so  Moses  stood  in  the  gap,  and  prt^vailed  with 
God. 

It  is  said  of  Xavier,  the  missionary,  that  he  was  once  called 
to  pray  for  a  man  who  was  sick,  and  he  prayed  so  fervently 
that  he  seemed  as  it  were  to  do  violence  to  heaven — so  the 
writer  expresses  it  And  he  prevailed,  and  the  man  recov- 
ered- 
Such  prayer  is  often  offered  in  the  present  day,  when 
Chiistians  have  been  wrought  up  to  such  a  pitch  of  impoi> 
tunity  and  such  a  holy  boldness,  that  afterwards,  when  tiiey 
looked  back  upon  it,  they  were  frightened  and  amazed  at 
themselves,  to  think  they  should  dare  to  exercise  such  impor- 
tunity with  GocL  And  yet  these  prayers  have  prevailed,  and 
obtained  the  blessing.  And  many  of  these  persons,  tlaat  I 
am  acquainted  with,  are  among  the  hohest  persons  I  know  in 
the  world. 

5.  Prayer,  to  be  effectual,  must  be  offered  from  right  mo- 
tivea  Prayer  should  not  be  selfish,  but  dictated  by  a  sth 
preme  regard  for  the  glory  of  God.  A  great  deal  of  prayer  is 
offered  from  pure  selfishnesa  Women  sometmies  pray 
for  their  husbands,  that  they  may  be  converted,  because  they 
3ay,  "  It  would  be  so  much  more  pleasant  to  have  my  hus- 
band go  to  meeting  with  me,"  and  all  that  And  they  seem 
never  to  lift  up  their  thoughts  above  self  at  alL  They  do 
not  seem  to  think  how  their  husbands  are  dishonoring  God 
by  their  sins,  and  how  God  would  be  glorified  in  their  con- 
version. So  it  is  with  parents  very  often.  They  can  not 
bear  to  think  that  their  chiidren  should  be  lost     They  pray 


54  PBEVAITJNO   PEAYKS. 

for  them  very  earnestly  indeed  But  if  you  go  to  talk  with 
them,  they  are  very  tender,  and  tell  you  how  good  their  chit 
dren  are,  how  they  respect  rehgion,  and  they  think  they  are 
almost  Ciiristians  now  ;  and  so  they  talk  as  if  they  were 
afraid  you  would  hurt  their  children  if  you  should  tell  them  the 
truth.  They  do  not  thmk  how  such  amiable  and  lovely  chil- 
dren are  dishonoring  God  by  their  sins  ;  they  are  only  think 
ing  what  a  dreadful  thing  it  will  be  for  them  to  go  to  helL 
Ah  I  unless  their  thoughts  rise  higher  than  this,  their  prayers 
will  never  prevail  with  a  holy  God.  The  tempti^tion  to  selfish 
motives  is  so  strong,  that  there  is  reason  to  fear  a  great  many 
parental  prayers  never  rise  above  the  yeanlings  of  parental 
tenderness.  And  that  is  the  reason  why  so  many  prayers 
are  not  heard,  and  why  so  many  pious,  praying  pai-ents  have 
ungodly  children.  Much  of  the  prayer  for  the  heathen  world 
seems  to  be  based  on  no  higher  princix^le  than  sympathy. 
IVIissionary  agents,  and  others,  are  dwelling  almost  exclu- 
Bively  upon  the  six  himdred  milhons  of  heathens  going  to 
hell,  while  Httle  is  said  of  tlieir  dishonoring  God.  This  is  a 
great  evil ;  and  until  the  church  have  higher  motives  for 
prayeof  and  missionary  effort  than  s^pathy  for  the  heathen, 
their  prayers  and  efforts  will  never  amount  to  much. 

6.  Prayer,  to  be  effectual,  must  be  by  the  intercession  of  the 
Spirit  You  never  can  expect  to  offer  prayer  according  to  the 
will  of  God  without  the  Spirit  In  the  fii'st  two  cases,  it  ia 
not  because  Christians  are  unable  to  offer  such  prayer,  where 
the  will  of  God  is  revealed  in  his  word,  or  indicated  by  his 
providence.  They  are  able  to  do  it,  just  as  they  are  able  to  be 
holy.  But  the  fact  is,  that  they  are  so  wicked,  that  they  never 
do  offer  such  prayer,  unless  they  are  influenced  by  the  Spirit 
of  God.  There  must  be  a  faith,  such  as  is  produced  by  the 
effectual  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

7.  It  must  be  persevering  prayer.  As  a  general  thing. 
Christians  who  have  backshdden  and  lost  the  spirit  of  prayer, 
wiU  not  get  at  once  into  the  habU  of  persevering  prayer.  Their 
minds  are  not  in  a  right  state,  and  they  cannot  fix  their  minds, 
and  hold  on  till  the  blessing  comes.  If  their  miiids  were  in  that 
state,  that  they  would  persevere  tiQ  the  answer  comes,  effectual 
prayer  might  be  ofi'ered  at  once,  as  weU  as  after  praying  ever 
so  many  times  for  an  object  But  they  have  to  pray  again  and 
again,  because  their  thoughts  are  so  apt  to  wander  away,  and 
are  so  easily  diveited  from  the  object  to  something  else.  Unti] 
their  minds  get  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  prayer,  they  will  not 
keep  fixed  to  one  point,  and  push  their  petition  to  an  issue  on 
the  spot     Po  not  think  you  are  prepared  to  offer  prevailing 


PREY  AILING   PBATEB.  N 

prayer,  if  your  feelings  will  let  you  pray  once  fbr  an  object, 
and  then  leave  it  Most  Christians  come  up  to  prevailing 
prayer  by  a  protracted  process.  Their  minds  gradually  be- 
come filled  with  anxiety  about  an  object,  so  that  they  will  even 
go  about  their  business,  si^'hing  out  their  desires  to  God 
Just  as  the  mother  whose  child  is  sick,  goes  round  her  house, 
sighing  as  if  her  heart  would  break.  And  if  she  is  a  praying 
mother,  her  sighs  are  breathed  out  to  God  all  the  day  long. 
If  she  goes  out  of  the  room  where  her  child  is,  her  mind  is 
still  on  it ;  and  if  she  is  asleep,  still  her  thoughts  are  on  it, 
and  she  starts  in  her  dreams,  thinking  it  is  djiiig.  Her  whole 
mind  is  absorbed  in  that  sick  child  This  is  the  state  of  mind 
in  which  Christians  offer  prevailing  prayer. 

"What  was  the  reason  that  Jacob  wrestled  all  night  in  prayer 
with  God  ?  He  knew  that  he  had  done  his  brother  Esau  a  great 
injury,  in  getting  away  the  bu'thiight  a  long  time  ago.  And  now 
he  was  informed  that  his  injured  brother  was  coming  to  meet 
him,  with  an  armed  force  altogether  too  powerful  for  him  to  con- 
tend against.  And  there  was  gi'eat  reason  to  suppose  he  was 
coming  with  a  purpose  of  revenge.  There  were  two  reasons 
then  why  he  should  be  distressed  The  first  was,  that  he  had 
done  tliis  great  injury,  and  had  never  made  any  reparation.  The 
other  was,  that  Esau  was  coming  with  a  force  sufficient  to 
crush  liim.  Now,  what  does  he  do  ?  Why,  he  first  aiTanges 
everji^huig  in  the  best  manner  he  can  to  meet  his  brother,  send* 
ing  his  present  first,  then  his  property,  then  his  family,  putting 
those  he  loved  most  farthest  behind  And  by  this  time  his  mind 
was  so  exercised  that  he  could  not  contain  himself.  He  goelf 
away  alone  over  the  brook,  and  pours  out  his  very  soul  in  an 
agony  of  prayer  all  night.  And  just  as  the  day  was  breakings 
the  angel  of  the  covenant  said,  "  Let  me  go  ; "  and  his  whole 
being  was,  as  it  were,  agonized  at  the  thought  of  giving  up, 
and  he  cried  out,  "  I  will  not  let  thee  go  except  thou  bless  me." 
His  soul  was  wi'ought  up  into  an  agony,  and  he  obtained  the 
blessing,  but  he  always  bore  the  mai'ks  of  it,  and  showed  that 
his  body  had  been  greatly  affected  by  this  mental  struggla 
This  is  prevailing  prayer. 

Now,  do  not  deceive  yourselves  with  thinking  that  you  offei 
effectual  prayer,  unless  you  have  this  intense  desire  for  the 
blessing.  I  do  not  believe  in  it  Prayer  is  not  effectual  unless 
it  is  offered  up  with  an  agony  of  desna  The  apostle  Paul 
speaks  of  it  as  a  travail  of  the  souL  Jesus  Christ,  when  he 
was  prajing  in  the  garden,  was  in  such  an  agony,  that  he 
sweat  as  it  were  great  drops  of  blood  falling  down  to  the 
ground     I  have  never  known  a  person  sweat  blood  ;  but  I 


16  PAEYAILINO    PBAYEK. 

have  known  a  person  pray  till  the  blood  starte<i  from  the  nosa 
And  I  have  kno^vn  persons  pray  till  they  were  all  wet  with 
perspiration,  in  the  coldest  weather  in  wdnter.  I  have  known 
persons  pray  for  hours,  till  their  strength  was  all  exliausted 
with  the  agony  of  their  minds.  Such  prayers  prevailed  with 
God. 

This  agony  in  prayer  was  prevalent  in  President  Edwardfir* 
day,  in  the  revivals  that  then  took  place.  It  was  one  of  the 
great  stumbling  blocks  in  those  days,  to  persons  who  were  op- 
posed to  the  revival,  that  people  used  to  pray  till  their  bodies 
were  ovei-joowered  with  their  feehngs.  I  will  read  a  paragraph 
of  what  President  Edwards  says  on  the  subject,  to  let  you  see 
that  this  is  not  a  new  thing  in  the  Church,  but  has  always 
prevailed  wherever  revivals  prevailed  with  power.  It  is  from 
his  Thoughts  on  Revivals. 

"  We  cannot  determine  that  God  never  shall  give  any  per- 
son so  much  of  a  discovery  of  himself,  not  only  as  to  weaken 
their  bodies,  but  to  take  away  their  hves.  It  is  supposed  by 
very  learned  and  judicious  divines,  that  Moses'  life  was  taken 
away  after  this  manner  ;  and  this  has  also  been  supposed  to 
be  the  case  with  some  other  saints.  Yea,  I  do  not  see  any 
soHd,  sure  grounds  any  have  to  determine,  that  God  shall 
never  make  such  strong  impressions  on  the  mind  by  his  Spirit, 
that  shall  be  an  occasion  of  so  unpairing  the  frame  of  the 
body,  and  particularly  that  part  of  the  body,  the  brain,  that 
persons  shall  be  deprived  of  the  use  of  reason.  As  I  said  be- 
fore, it  is  too  much  for  us  to  determine,  that  God  will  not 
bring  an  outward  calamity  in  bestowing  spiritual  and  eternal 
blessings  :  so  it  is  too  much  for  us  to  determine,  how  great 
an  outward  calamity  he  will  bring.  If  God  give  a  great  in- 
crease of  discoveries  of  himself,  and  of  love  to  him,  the  be- 
nefit is  infinitely  greater  than  the  calamity,  though  the  life 
should  presently  after  be  taken  away  ;  yea,  though  the  soul 
should  not  immediately  be  taken  to  heaven,  but  should  He 
some  years  in  a  deep  sleep,  and  then  be  taken  to  heaven  ;  or, 
which  is  much  the  same  thing,  if  it  be  deprived  of  the  use  of 
its  faculties,  and  be  inactive  and  unserviceable,  as  if  it  lay  in 
a  deep  sleep  for  some  years,  and  then  should  pass  into  glory. 
We  cannot  determine  how  great  a  calamity  distraction  is, 
when  considered  with  all  its  consequences,  and  all  that  might 
have  been  consequent,  if  the  distraction  had  not  happened ; 
nor  indeed  whether  (thus  considered)  it  be  any  calamity  at 
all,  or  whether  it  be  not  a  mercy,  by  preventing  some  great 
sin,  or  some  more  dreadful  thing,  if  it  had  not  been.  B 
were  a  great  fault  in  us  to  limit  a  sovereign,  all-wise  God, 


PEKVArLTNG    PBATKR,  5t 

whose  JTid^inents  are  a  great  deep,  and  his  ways  past  finding 
out,  whore  he  has  not  hiiiited  liimself,  and  in  things  concern- 
ing which  he  has  not  tokl  iis  what  his  way  sliall  be.  It  is 
remarkable,  considering  in  what  multitudes  of  instances,  and 
to  how  great  a  degree,  the  frame  of  the  ba<ly  has  been 
overpowered  of  late,  that  persons'  Uves  have,  notwithstand- 
ing, been  preserved,  and  that  the  instances  of  those  that  have 
been  deprived  of  reason,  have  been  so  very  few,  and  those, 
perhaps  aU  of  them,  persons  under  the  peculiar  disadvantage 
of  a  weak,  vapory  habit  of  body.  A  merciful  and  careful 
Divine  hand  is  very  manifest  in  it,  that  in  so  many  instances 
where  the  ship  has  begim  to  smk,  yet  it  has  been  upheld,  and 
has  not  totally  simk.  The  instances  of  such  as  have  been 
deprived  of  reason  are  so  few,  that  certainly  they  are  not 
enough  to  cause  us  to  be  in  any  fright,  as  though  this  work 
that  has  been  carried  on  in  the  country  was  hke  to  be  of 
baneful  influence  ;  unless  we  are  disposed  to  gather  up  all 
that  we  can  to  darken  it,  and  set  it  forth  in  frightful  colors. 

"  There  is  one  particular  kind  of  exercise  and  concern  of 
mind,  that  many  have  been  overpowered  by,  that  has  been 
especially  stumbling  to  some  ;  and  that  is,  the  deep  concern 
and  distress  that  they  have  been  in  for  the  souls  of  others. 
I  am  soiT}'  tliat  any  put  us  to  tlie  trouble  of  doing  that  which 
seems  so  needless,  as  defending  such  a  thing  as  this.  It 
seems  hke  mere  trifling,  in  so  plain  a  case,  to  enter  into  a  for- 
mal and  particular  debate,  in  order  to  determine  whether 
there  be  anything  in  the  greatness  and  importance  of  the 
case  that  will  answer  and  bear  a  propoi'tion  to  the  gi-eatnese 
of  tne  concern  that  some  have  manifested  Men  may  be  al- 
lowed, from  no  higher  a  principle  than  common  ingenuity  and 
hiunanity,  to  be  very  deeply  concerned  and  greatly  exercised 
in  mind  at  seeing  others  in  great  danger  of  no  greater  a  ca- 
lamity than  di-owning,  or  being  burnt  up  in  a  house  on  fire. 
And  if  so,  then  doubtless  it  will  be  allowed  to  be  equally 
reasonable,  if  they  saw  them  in  danger  of  a  calamity  ten 
times  greater,  to  be  still  much  more  concerned  ;  and  so  much 
more  still,  if  the  calamity  was  still  vastly  greater.  And  why, 
then,  should  it  })e  thought  mn-easonable,  and  looked  upon 
with  a  veiy  suspicious  eye,  as  if  it  must  come  from  some  bad 
cause,  when  persons  are  extremely  concerned  at  seeing  others 
in  very  gi-eat  danger  of  sulfering  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of 
Almighty  God  to  all  eternity  ?  And,  besides,  it  will  doubt 
less  be  allowed  that  those  that  have  very  great  degrees  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  that  is,  a  spii*it  of  love,  may  well  be  supposed 
to  have  vastly  more  of  love  and  compassion  to  their  fellow 
9* 


68  PEEV AILING   PRAT 

creatures,  than  those  that  are  influenced  only  by  common 
humanity.  Why  should  it  be  thought  strange  that  those 
that  are  full  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ  should  be  proportionably, 
in  their  love  to  souls,  like  to  Christ  ?  who  had  so  strong  a  love 
to  them  and  concern  for  them  as  to  be  williiig  to  diink  the 
dregs  of  the  cup  of  God's  fuiy  for  them  ;  and  at  the  same 
time  that  he  offered  up  his  blood  for  souls,  offered  up  also, 
as  their  high  priest,  strong  crying  and  tears,  with  an  extreme 
agony,  when  the  soul  of  Christ  was,  as  it  were,  in  travail  for 
the  souls  of  the  elect ;  and,  therefore,  in  saving  them,  he  is 
said  to  see  of  the  travail  of  his  souL  As  such  a  spirit  of  love 
to  and  concern  for  souls  was  the  spirit  of  Christ,  so  it  is  the 
spirit  of  the  church  ;  and,  therefore,  the  chui'ch,  in  desiring 
and  seeldiig  that  Christ  might  be  brought  forth  in  the  world 
and  in  the  souls  of  men,  is  represented.  Rev.  xii.,  as  *a 
woman  crying,  travaihng  in  birth,  and  pained  to  be  dehvered.* 
The  spuit  of  those  that  have  been  in  distress  for  the  souls  of 
others,  so  far  as  I  can  discern,  seems  not  to  be  different  from 
that  of  the  apostle,  who  travailed  for  souls,  and  was  ready  to 
wish  himself  accursed  from  Christ  for  others.  And  that  of 
the  Psalmist,  Psalm  cxix.  53,  *  Horror  hath  taken  hold  upon 
me,  because  of  the  vricked  that  forsake  thy  law.'  And  v.  136, 
*  Rivers  of  waters  run  down  mine  eyes,  because  they  keep  not 
thy  law.'  And  that  of  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  Jer.  iv.  19, 
*My  bowels!  my  bowels!  I  am  pained  at  my  very  heart; 
My  heart  maketh  a  noise  in  me  :  I  cannot  hold  my  peace, 
because  thou  has  heard,  O  my  soul,  the  sound  of  the  trum- 

Eet,  the  alarm  of  war ! '  And  so,  chap.  ix.  1,  and  xiii.  17,  and 
3a.  xxii  4.  We  read  of  Mordecai,  when  he  saw  his  people 
in  danger  of  being  destroyed  with  a  temporal  destruction, 
Esther  iv.  1,  that  he  '  rent  his  clothes,  and  put  on  sackcloth 
and  ashes,  and  went  out  into  the  midst  of  the  city,  and  cried 
with  a  loud  and  bitter  ciy.  And  why,  then,  should  persons 
be  thought  to  be  distracted,  when  they  cannot  forbear  crying 
out  at  the  consideration  of  the  misery  of  those  that  are  going 
to  eternal  destruction  ?  "  * 

I  have  read  this  to  show  that  this  thing  was  common  in 
the  great  revivals  of  those  days.  It  has  always  been  so  in 
all  great  revivals,  and  has  been  more  or  less  common  in  pro- 
portion to  the  gTeatness,  and  extent,  and  depth  of  the  work 
It  was  so  in  the  great  revivals  in  Scotland,  and  multitudes 
ased  to  be  overpowered,  and  some  almost  died,  by  the  depth 
of  their  agony 

*  Edwards'  Works,  vjL  iv.  p.  85,  New  York  edition. 


PRKVATLIN-a   PRATEB.  51 

9.  If  you  mean  to  pray  effectually,  you  must  pray  a  great 
deal  It  was  said  of  the  apostle  James,  that  after  he  was 
dead  it  was  found  his  kuees  were  calloas  like  a  camel's  knees, 
by  pra}ing  so  much.  Ah  1  here  was  the  secret  of  the  success 
of  those  primitive  ministers.     They  had  callous  kneea 

10.  If  you  intend  prayer  to  be  effectual,  it  must  be  offered 
in  the  name  of  Clunst.  You  cannot  come  to  God  in  your  own 
name.  You  cannot  plead  your  own  merits.  But  you  can 
come  in  a  name  that  is  always  acceptable.  You  all  know 
what  it  is  to  use  the  name  of  a  man.  If  you  should  go  to  the 
bank  with  a  draft  or  note,  endorsed  by  John  Jacob  Astor, 
that  would  be  giving  you  his  name,  and  you  know  you  could 
get  the  money  from  the  bank  just  as  well  as  he  could  himself. 
Now,  Jesus  Christ  gives  you  the  use  of  his  name.  And  when 
you  pray  in  the  name  of  Chiist,  the  meaning  of  it  is,  that 
you  can  prevail  just  as  well  as  he  could  himself,  and  receive 
just  as  much  as  God's  weH-beloved  Son  would  if  he  were  to 
pray  himself  for  the  same  things.  But  you  must  pray  in 
faith.  His  name  has  aU  the  vu-tue  in  your  lips  that  it  has  in 
his  own,  and  God  is  just  as  free  to  bestow  blessings  upon  yon, 
when  you  ask  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and  in  faith,  as  he  would 
be  to  bestow  them  upon  Christ,  if  he  should  ask. 

11.  You  cannot  prevail  in  prayer,  without  renouncing  all 
your  sins.  You  must  not  only  recall  them  to  mind,  but  you 
must  actually  renounce  them,  and  leave  them  off,  and  in  the 
purpose  of  your  heart  renounce  them  all/o?'  ever. 

12.  You  must  pray  in  faith.  You  must  expect  to  obtain 
the  things  you  ask  for.  You  need  not  look  for  an  answer  to 
prayer,  if  you  pray  without  any  expectation  of  obtaining  it. 
You  are  not  to  form  such  expectations  without  any  reason  for 
them.  In  the  cases  I  have  supposed,  there  is  a  reason  for  the 
expectation.  In  case  the  thing  is  revealed  in  God's  word,  if 
you  pray  without  an  espectatian  of  receiving  the  blessings, 
YOU  just  make  God  a  har.  If  the  will  of  God  is  indicated  by 
nis  providence,  you  ought  to  depend  on  it,  according  to  the 
clearness  of  the  indication,  so  far  as  to  expect  the  blessing  il 
you  pray  for  it.  And  if  you  are  led  by  his  Spirit  to  pray  foi 
certain  things,  you  have  just  as  much  reason  to  expect  the 
thing  to  be  done  as  if  God  had  revealed  it  in  his  word. 

But  some  say,  "  WlQ  not  this  view  of  the  leadings  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  lead  people  into  fanaticism  ?  "  I  answer,  that 
I  know  not  but  many  may  deceive  themselves  in  respect  to 
this  matter.  Multitudes  have  deceived  themselves  in  regard 
to  all  the  other  points  of  rehgion.  And  if  some  people  should 
think  they  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  when  it  is  nothing 


10  ^BEVArLINQ    PBATEB. 

but  their  own  imagination,  is  that  any  reason  why  those  whr 
know  that  they  are  led  by  the  Spirit  should  not  follow  ?  Many 
people  suppose  themselves  to  be  converted  when  they  are  not. 
Is  that  any  reason  why  we  should  not  cleave  to  the  Lord  Je- 
sus Chiist?  Suppose  some  people  are  deceived  in  thinking 
they  love  God,  is  that  any  reason  why  the  pious  saint  who 
knows  he  has  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  his  heart,  should 
not  give  vent  to  his  feelings  in  songs  of  praise  ?  So  I  sup- 
pose some  may  deceive  themselves  in  thinking  they  are  led  by 
the  Spuit  of  God  But  there  is  no  need  of  being  deceived 
[f  people  follow  impulses,  it  is  their  own  fault.  I  do  not 
want  you  to  follow  impulses.  I  want  you  to  be  sober  mind- 
ed, and  follow  the  sober,  rational  leachngs  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  There  are  those  who  understand  what  I  mean,  and  who 
know  very  well  what  it  is  to  give  themselves  up  to  the  Spirit 
of  God  in  prayer. 

TTT.  I  will  state  some  of  the  reasons  why  these  things  are 
essential  to  effectual  prayer.  Why  does  God  require  such 
prayer,  such  strong  desires,  such  agonizing  supphcations  ? 

1.  These  strong  desii-es  strongly  illustrate  the  strength  of 
God's  feehngs.  They  are  Hke  the  real  feelings  of  God  for  im 
penitent  sinners.  ^\^en  I  have  seen,  as  I  sometimes  have, 
the  amazing  strengtn  of  love  for  souls  tliat  has  been  felt  by 
Christians,  I  have  been  wondei-fully  impressed  with  the  amaz- 
ing love  of  God,  and  his  desires  for  their  salvation.  The  case 
of  a  certain  woman,  of  whom  I  read,  in  a  revival,  made  the 
greatest  impression  on  my  mind  She  had  such  an  unutter- 
able  compassion  and  love  for  souls,  that  she  actually  panted 
for  breath  almost  to  suffocation.  What  must  be  the  strength 
of  the  desire  which  God  feels,  when  his  Spirit  produces  in 
Christians  such  amazing  agony,  such  throes  of  soul,  such  tror 
vaU — God  has  chosen  the  best  word  to  express  it — it  is  travail 
— travail  of  the  souL 

I  have  seen  a  man  of  as  much  strength  of  intellect  and 
muscle  as  any  man  in  the  community,  fall  down  prostrate, 
absolutely  ovei-powered  by  his  unutterable  desires  for  sinnera 
I  know  this  is  a  stumbling  block  to  many  ;  and  it  always  will 
be  as  long  as  there  remain  in  the  church  so  many  bhnd  and 
stupid  professors  of  religion.  But  I  cannot  doubt  that  these 
things  are  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God  Oh  that  the  whole 
church  could  be  so  filled  with  the  Spmt  as  to  travail  in  pray- 
er, till  a  nation  should  be  bom  in  a  day  I 

It  is  said  in  the  word  of  God,  that  as  soon  "  as  2jion  travail 
ei,  she  brought  forth."  AVhat  does  that  mean?  I  asked  a 
professor  of  religion  this  question  onoe.     He  was  making  ex- 


PEKVAIUlffG    PBATEB.  61 

eeptions  about  our  ideas  of  effectual  prayer,  and  I  asked  him 
what  he  8upi)osed  was  meant  by  Zion's  travailing.  "  Oh,"  said 
he,  "  it  means  that  as  soon  as  the  chiirch  walk  together  in  the 
fellowship  of  the  Gosj^el,  then  it  will  be  said  that  Zion  travels  ! 
This  walking  together  is  called  Iraixdling"  Not  the  same  terin» 
you  see.     So  much  he  knew. 

2.  These  strong  desires  that  I  have  described,  are  the  nat- 
ural results  of  great  benevolence  and  clear  views  of  the  dan- 
ger of  sinners.  It  is  perfectly  reasonable  that  it  should  be  sa 
If  tlie  women  who  are  in  this  house  should  look  up  there,  and 
see  a  family  burning  to  death  in  the  fire,  and  hear  their  shrieka» 
and  behold  their  agony,  they  would  feel  distressed,  and  it  is 
very  likely  that  many  of  them  would  faint  away  with  agony. 
A_ad  nobody  would  wonder  at  it,  or  say  they  were  fools  car 
crazy  to  feel  so  much  distressed  at  such  an  awful  sight  They 
would  thiTiW  it  strange  if  there  were  not  some  expressions  of 
powerful  feeling.  Why  is  it  any  wonder,  then,  if  Christianfl 
should  feel  as  I  have  described,  when  they  have  clear  views 
of  the  state  of  sinners,  and  the  avsrful  danger  they  are  in? 
Tiie  fact  is,  that  those  individuals  who  never  have  felt  so,  have 
never  had  much  real  benevolence,  and  their  piety  must  be  of 
a  veiy  superficial  character.  I  do  not  mean  to  judge  harshly, 
or  to  speak  unkindly.  But  I  state  it  as  a  simple  matter  of 
fact ;  and  people  may  talk  about  it  as  they  please,  but  I  know 
that  such  piety  is  superficial  This  is  not  censoriousness,  but 
plain  truth. 

People  sometimes  wonder  at  Cliristians  having  such  feel- 
ings. Wonder  at  what  ?  W^hy,  at  the  natural,  and  philosoph- 
ical, and  necessary  results  of  deep  piet}^  towards  God,  and 
deep  benevolence  towards  man,  in  view  of  the  great  danger 
they  see  sinners  to  be  in. 

3.  The  soul  of  a  Christian,  when  it  is  thus  burdened,  must 
have  relief.  God  rolls  this  weight  upon  the  soul  of  a  Chris- 
tian, for  the  purpose  of  bringing  him  near  to  liimself.  ChriB- 
tians  are  often  so  unbelieving,  that  they  will  not  exercise  prop- 
er faith  in  God,  till  he  rolls  this  burden  upon  them,  so  heavy 
that  they  cannot  live  under  it,  and  then  they  must  go  to  God 
for  rehel  It  is  like  the  case  of  many  a  convicted  sinner.  God 
k  willing  to  receive  him  at  once,  if  he  will  come  right  to  hun, 
with  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  But  the  sinner  will  not  come.  He 
hangs  back,  and  stiiiggles,  and  groans  under  the  burden  (A 
his  sins,  and  will  not  throw  himself  upon  God,  till  his  burden 
of  conviction  becomes  so  great  that  he  can  Hve  no  longer  ; 
and  when  he  is  driven  to  desperation,  as  it  were,  and  feels  as 
if  he  was  ready  to  sink  into  hell,  he  makes  a 


d2  PEEV AILING   PRArEB. 

and  throws  liimself  upon  God's  mercy  as  his  only  hope.  li 
was  his  duty  to  come  before.  God  had  no  delight  lq  his  dii* 
fcress,  for  its  own  sake.  It  was  only  the  sinner's  obstiQacy 
that  created  the  necessity  for  aU  this  distress.  He  would  not 
«ome  without  it.  So  when  professors  of  religion  get  loaded 
do\\Ti  with  the  weight  of  souls,  they  often  pray  agaia  and 
again,  and  yet  the  bui^den  is  not  gone,  nor  their  distress  abat- 
ed,  because  they  have  never  thrown  it  aU  upon  God  in  faith. 
But  they  cannot  get  rid  of  the  burden.  So  long  as  their  benev- 
olence contiuues  it  wHl  remaio  and  iucrease,  and  unless  they 
resist  and  quench  the  Holy  Ghost  they  can  get  no  rehef,  untii 
at  length,  when  they  are  diiven  to  extremity,  they  make  a  de» 
perate  e£foi-t,  roll  the  burden  off  upon  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  exercise  a  child-like  confidence  in  him.  Then  they  feel 
reheved  ;  then  they  feel  as  if  the  soul  they  were  praying  for 
would  be  saved.  The  burden  is  gone,  and  God  seems  ia 
kindness  to  sooth  down  the  mind  to  feel  a  sweet  assurance 
that  the  blessing  will  be  gi-anted.  Often,  after  a  Chiistian 
has  had  this  struggle,  this  agony  in  prayer,  and  has  obtained 
relief  in  this  way,  you  will  find  the  sweetest  and  most  heav- 
enly affections  flow  out — the  soul  rests  sweetly  and  glori- 
ously ia  God,  and  rejoices,  "  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory." 

Do  any  of  you  think  now,  that  there  are  no  such  thiags  in 
the  experience  of  beUevers  ?  I  teU  you,  if  I  had  time,  I  could 
show  you  from  President  Edwards,  and  other  approved 
writers,  cases  and  descriptions  just  like  this.  Do  you  ask  why 
we  never  have  such  things  here  in  New  York  ?  I  teU  you,  it 
is  not  at  ail  because  you  are  so  much  wiser  than  Christiana. 
are  lq  the  country,  or  because  you  have  so  much  more  inteUi* 
gence  or  more  enlarged  views  of  the  nature  of  religion,  or  a 
more  stable  and  well  regulated  piety.  I  tell  you,  no  ;  instead 
of  priding  yourselves  lq  being  free  from  such  extiavagances, 
you  ought  to  hide  your  heads,  because  Christians  in  New  York 
are  so  worldly,  and  have  so  much  starch,  and  pride,  and  fash- 
ion, that  they  cannot  come  daiun  to  such  spirituahty  as  this. 
I  wish  it  cotdd  be  so.  Oh  that  there  might  be  such  a  spirit 
in  this  city,  and  ui  this  church  I  I  know  it  would  make  a 
noise,  if  we  had  such  things  done  hera  But  I  would  not  care 
for  that  Let  them  say,  if  they  please,  that  the  follis  in  Chat- 
ham Chapel  are  getting  deranged.  We  need  not  be  afr-aid  of 
that,  if  we  could  five  neai'  enough  to  God  te  enjoy  his  Spirit 
in  the  manner  I  have  desciibed. 

4.  These  effects  of  the  spirit  of  prayer  upon  the  body  are 
(hiemselv^s  no  pait  of  rcli^^on.     It  is  only  that  the  body  iv 


PBEVAIUKO   PRATXB.  08 

often  8C  weak  that  the  feeline^  of  the  soul  overpower  it 
These  bodily  effects  are  not  at  all  essential  to  prevaiUng 
prayer,  but  only  a  natural  or  physical  result  of  highly  excited 
emotions  of  the  mind.  It  is  not  at  all  unusual  for  the  body 
to  be  weakened  and  even  overcome  by  any  powerful  emotion 
of  the  mind,  on  otlier  subjects  beside  rehgion.  The  door-keeper 
of  Congress  in  the  tune  of  the  revolution,  fell  down  dead  on 
the  reception  of  some  highly  cheering  intelHgence.  I  knew  a 
woman  in  Rochester,  who  was  in  a  great  agony  of  prayer  for 
the  conversion  of  her  son-in-law.  One  morning  he  was  at  an 
anxious  meeting,  and  she  remained  at  home  praying  for  him. 
At  the  close  of  the  meeting,  he  came  home  a  convert,  and  she 
was  so  rejoiced  that  she  fell  down  and  died  on  the  spot  It 
is  no  more  strange  that  these  effects  should  be  produced  by 
rehgion  than  by  strong  feehng  on  any  other  subject  It  is 
not  essential  to  prayer,  but  the  natural  result  of  great  effort 
of  the  mind. 

5.  Doubtless  one  great  reason  why  God  requires  the  exer- 
cise of  this  agonizing  prayer  is,  that  it  forms  such  a  bond  of 
union  between  Christ  and  the  Church.  It  creates  such  a  sym- 
pathy between  them.  It  is  as  if  Christ  came  and  poured  the 
overflowings  of  his  own  benevolent  heart  into  his  church,  and 
led  them  to  sympathize  and  to  co-operate  with  him,  as  they 
never  do  in  any  other  way.  They  feel  just  as  Christ  feels — so 
full  of  compassion  for  sinners  that  they  cannot  contain  them- 
selves. Thus  it  is  often  with  those  ministers  who  are  distin- 
guished for  their  success  in  preaching  to  sinners  ;  they  often 
have  such  compassion,  such  overflowing  desires  for  their  sal- 
vation, that  it  shows  itself  in  their  speaking,  and  their  preach- 
ing, just  as  though  Jesus  Christ  spoke  through  them.  The 
words  come  from  their  Hps  fresh  and  warm,  as  if  from  the 
very  heart  of  Christ  I  do  not  mean  that  he  dictates  their 
words  ;  but  he  excites  the  feelings  that  give  utterance  to  them. 
Then  you  see  a  movement  in  the  hearers,  as  if  Christ  himself 
spoke  through  hps  of  clay. 

6,  This  ti-avaihng  in  birth  for  souls  creates  also  a  remarka- 
ble bond  of  union  between  wann-hearted  Christians  and  the 
Toung  converts.  Those  who  are  converted  appear  very  dear 
to  the  hearts  that  have  had  this  spirit  of  prayer  for  theuL 
The  feeling  is  like  that  of  a  mother  for  her  flrst-bom.  Paul 
expresses  it  beautifully,  when  he  says,  "  My  httle  children  !  ** 
His  heart  was  warm  and  tender  to  them.  "  My  little  chil- 
dren, of  whom  I  travail  in  bii'th  again,"  They  had  backshdden, 
and  he  has  all  the  agonies  of  a  jDarent  over  a  wandering  ckild. 
"  I  travail  in  birth  again,  till  Christ  be  formed  in  you,  the  hope 


«4  PBBVAUJNG   PRATEB. 

of  glory.**  In  a  revival,  I  have  often  noticed  how  those  who 
have  had  the  spirit  of  prayer,  love  the  young  converts.  1 
know  tlds  is  all  algebra  to  those  who  have  never  felt  it.  Bui 
to  thost^  who  have  experienced  the  agony  of  wrestling,  pre- 
vailing  prayer,  for  the  conversion  of  a  soul,  you  may  depend 
upon  it,  that  soul,  after  it  is  converted,  appears  as  dear  as  a 
child  IB  to  the  mother  who  has  brought  it  forth  with  pain.  He 
has  agonizetl  for  it,  and  received  it  in  answer  to  prayer,  and 
can  present  it  before  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  saying,  "  Here, 
Lord,  am  I,  and  the  children  thou  hast  given  me." 

7.  Another  reason  why  God  requires  this  sort  of  prayer  is, 
that  it  in  the  only  way  in  which  the  church  can  be  properly 
prepared  to  receive  great  blessings  without  being  injured  by 
them.  When  the  church  is  thus  prostrated  in  the  dust  before 
God,  and  is  in  the  depth  of  agony  in  prayer,  the  blessing  doea 
them  good  While  at  the  same  tune,  if  they  had  received  the 
blessing  without  this  deep  prostration  of  soul,  it  would  have 

Euffed  thx'^m  up  with  pride.     But  as  it  is,  it  increases  theik 
oliness,  tiieir  love,  their  humility. 

IV.  I  am  to  show  that  such  prayer  as  I  have  described 
will  avail  much.  But  time  fails  me  to  go  into  a  particular  de- 
tail of  the  evidence  which  I  intended  to  bring  forward  under 
this  head. 

Elijah  the  prophet  mourned  over  the  declensions  of  tht 
house  of  Israel,  and  when  he  saw  that  no  other  means  were 
likely  to  be  effectual,  to  prevent  a  perpetual  going  away  into 
idolatry,  he  prayed  that  the  judgments  of  God  might  come 
upon  the  gmlty  nation.  He  prayed  that  it  might  not  rain, 
and  God  shut  up  the  heavens  for  three  years  and  six  month% 
tin  the  people  were  driven  to  the  last  extremity.  And  when 
ho  saw  that  it  was  time  to  relent,  what  does  he  do  ?  See  him 
go  up  to  the  mountain  and  bow  down  in  prayer.  He  wished 
to  be  alone  ;  and  he  told  his  servant  to  go  seven  times,  while 
he  was  agonizing  in  prayer.  The  last  time,  the  servant  told 
him  there  was  a  httle  cloud  appeared,  like  a  man's  hand,  and 
he  instantly  arose  from  his  knees — ^the  blessing  was  obtained. 
The  time  had  come  for  the  calamity  to  be  turned  back.  **Ah, 
but,*'  you  say,  "  EUjah  was  a  prophet."  Now  do  not  makb 
this  objection.  They  made  it  in  the  apostle's  days,  and  whaA 
does  the  apostle  say  ?  Why  he  brought  forward  this  very 
instance,  and  the  fact  that  Elijah  was  a  man  of  like  passions 
with  ourselves,  as  a  case  of  prevailing  prayer,  and  insifrtfid 
that  they  should  pray  so  too. 

John  Kjdox  was  a  man  famous  for  his  power  in  prayer,  so 
that  bloody  Queen  Mary  used  to  ss^r  she  feard  his  pra^flOl 


PREVArLDfa   PBATBB.  M 

more  than  all  the  armies  of  Europe.  And  events  showed  that 
ghe  had  reas(^n  to  do  it  He  used  to  be  in  such  an  agony  for 
the  deliverence  of  his  country  that  he  could  not  sleep.  He 
had  a  place  in  his  garden  where  he  used  to  go  to  pray.  One 
night  he  and  sevenxl  friends  were  praying  together,  and  as 
they  prayed,  Knox  spoke  and  said  that  deliverance  had  coma 
He  could  not  tell  what  had  happened,  but  he  felt  that  some- 
thing had  taken  place,  for  God  had  heard  their  prayera 
What  was  it  ?  Why  the  next  news  they  had  was,  that  Mary 
was  deadl 

Take  a  fact  which  was  related,  in  my  hearing,  by  a  minister. 
He  said,  that  in  a  certain  town  there  had  been  no  revival  fcj* 
many  years  ;  the  church  was  nearly  run  out,  the  youth  were 
all  unconverted,  and  desolation  reigned  unbroken.  There 
lived  m  a  retired  part  of  the  town,  an  aged  man,  a  blacksmith 
by  trade,  and  of  so  stammering  a  tongue,  that  it  was  painful 
to  hear  him  speak.  On  one  Friday,  as  he  was  at  work  in  his 
shop,  alone,  his  mind  became  greatly  exercised  about  the  state 
of  the  church,  and  of  the  impenitent  His  agony  became  so 
great,  that  he  was  induced  to  lay  by  his  work,  lock  the  shop 
door,  and  spend  the  afternoon  ui  prayer. 

He  prevailed,  and  on  the  Sabbath  called  on  the  minister, 
and  desired  him  to  appoint  a  conference  meeting.  After  some 
hesitation,  the  minister  consented,  observing,  however,  that 
he  feared  but  few  would  attend.  He  appointed  it  the  same 
evening,  at  a  large  private  house.  When  evening  came,  more 
assembled  than  could  be  accommodated  in  the  housa  All 
was  silent  for  a  time,  until  one  sinner  broke  out  m  tears,  and 
said,  if  any  one  could  pray,  he  begged  him  to  pray  for  him. 
Another  followed,  and  another,  and  still  another,  until  it  was 
found  that  persons  from  every  quarter  of  the  town  were 
under  deep  conviction.  And  what  was  remarkable  was,  th^t 
they  all  dated  their  conviction  at  the  hour  when  the  old  man 
was  prayiQg  in  his  shop.  A  powerful  revival  followed  Thus 
this  old  stammerJQg  man  prevailed,  and,  as  a  prince,  had 
power  with  God.  I  could  name  multitudes  of  similar  cases, 
tfttt,  for  want  of  time,  must  conclude  with  a  few. 

RE^TATtKS. 

1.  A  great  deal  of  prayer  is  lost,  and  many  people  never 
prevail  in  prayer,  because,  when  they  have  desires  for  particu- 
lar blessings,  they  do  not  follow  them  up.  They  may  have 
had  desires,  benevolent  and  pure,  which  were  excited  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  ;  and  when  they  have  them,  they  should  per 


M  PREV AILING   PRIYEB. 

se-vere  in  prayer,  for  if  they  turn  off  their  attention  to  othei 
objects,  they  will  quench  the  Spirit  We  tell  sinners  not  to 
turn  off  their  minds  from  the  one  object,  but  to  keep  their 
attention  fixed  there,  till  they  are  saved,  WTien  you  find 
these  holy  desires  in  your  minds,  take  care  of  two  things  : 

(1.)'  Do  not  quench  the  Spirit. 

(2.)  Do  not  be  diverted  to  other  objects. 

f'ollow  the  leadings  of  the  Spirit,  till  you  have  offered  thafc 
effectual  fervent  prayer  that  availeth  much. 

2.  Without  the  spirit  of  prayer,  ministers  will  do  but  little 
good.  A  minister  need  not  expect  much  success,  unless  he 
prays  for  it  Sometimes  others  may  have  the  spirit  of  prayer, 
and  obtain  a  blessing  on  his  labors.  Generally,  however, 
those  preachers  are  the  most  successful  who  have  the  most  of 
a  spirit  of  prayer  themselves. 

3.  Not  only  must  ministers  have  the  spirit  of  prayer,  bui 
it  is  necessary  that  the  chui'ch  should  unite  in  offering  that 
effectual  fervent  prayer  which  can  prevail  vdth  God.  You 
need  not  expect  a  blessing,  unless  you  ask  for  it  "  For  all 
these  things  vnll  I  be  inquired  of  by  the  house  of  Israel,  to 
do  it" 

Now,  my  brethren,  I  have  only  to  ask  you,  in  regard  to 
what  I  have  preached  to-night,  "  Will  you  do  it  ?"  Have  you 
done  what  I  preached  to  you  last  Friday  eveuing?  Have  you 
gone  over  with  your  sins,  and  confessed  them,  and  got  them 
all  out  of  the  way  ?  Can  you  pray  now  ?  And  will  you  join 
and  offer  prevailing  prayer,  that  the  Spirit  of  Gkxi  may  coma 
doim  hexef 


LECTURE  V. 


THE    PRAYER   OF   PAITH. 


TUET. — **  Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  What  things  soever  ye  desire  when  ye  pray, 
Mileve  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  ehall  have  them."— Majik  zL  34. 

These  words  have  been  by  some  supposed  to  refer  excln- 
gively  to  the  faith  of  miracles.  But  there  is  not  the  least  evi- 
dence of  this.  That  the  text  was  not  designed  by  our  Sa- 
viour to  refer  exclusively  to  the  faith  of  miracles,  is  proved 
by  the  connection  in  which  it  standa  If  you  read  the  chap- 
ter, you  will  see  that  Christ  and  his  apostles  were  at  this  time 
very  much  engaged  in  their  work,  and  very  prayerful ;  and 
as  they  returned  from  their  places  of  retirement  in  the  morn- 
ing, faint  and  hungry,  they  saw  a  fig-tree  at  a  little  distanca 
It  looked  very  beautiful,  and  doubtless  gave  signs  of  having 
fruit  on  it ;  but  when  they  came  nigh,  they  found  nothing 
on  it  but  leaves.  And  Jesus  said,  "  No  man  eat  fruit  of  thee 
hereafter  for  ever. 

"  And  in  the  morning,  as  they  passed  by,  they  saw  the  fig- 
tree  dried  up  from  the  roots. 

"  And  Peter,  calling  to  remembrance,  saith  unto  him.  Mas- 
ter, behold  the  fig-tree  which  thou  cursedst  is  withered  away. 

"  And  Jesus  answering,  saith  unto  them,  have  faith  in  Gk)d. 

"  For  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  whosoever  shall  say  unto 
this  mountain,  Be  thou  removed,  and  be  thou  cast  into  the 
sea  ;  and  shall  not  doubt  in  his  heart,  but  shall  beheve  that 
those  things  which  he  saith  shall  come  to  pass  ;  he  shall  have 
whatsoever  he  saith." 

Then  follow  the  words  of  the  text : 

"  Therefore  I  say  unto  you.  What  things  soever  ye  desire 
when  ye  pray,  believe  that  ye  receive  them,  and  ye  shall  have 
them." 

Our  Saviour  was  desirous  of  giving  his  disciples  instructions 
respecting  the  nature  and  power  of  prayer,  and  the  necessity 
of  strong  faith  in  God.  He  therefore  stated  a  very  strong 
case,  a  miracle — one  so  great  as  the  removal  of  a  mountain 
into  the  sea.  And  he  teUs  them,  that  if  they  exercise  a  proper 
faith  in  God,  they  might  do  such  things.  But  his  remiirks 
are  not  to  be  hmited  to  faith  merely  in  regard  to  working  mir 
ftcles,  for  he  goes  on  to  say, 

(67) 


•6  THE    PBATEB    OF    FAITH. 

"And  when  ye  stand  praying,  forgive,  if  ye  have  aught 
against  any,  that  your  Father  also  which  is  in  heaven  may 
forgive  you  your  trespasses. 

"  But  if  ye  do  not  forgive,  neither  will  your  Father  which 
'e  in  heaven  forgive  you  your  trespasses." 

Does  that  relate  to  miracles  ?  When  you  pray,  you  must 
forgive.  Is  that  required  only  when  a  man  wishes  to  work  a 
miracle  ?  There  are  many  other  promises  in  the  Bible  nearly 
related  to  this,  and  speaking  nearly  the  same  language,  which 
have  been  aU  disposed  of  in  this  short-handed  way,  as  refea> 
ring  to  the  faith  employed  in  miracles.  Just  as  if  the  faith  of 
miracles  was  something  different  from  faith  in  God  I 

In  my  last  lecture,  I  dwelt  upon  the  subject  of  "  prevailing 
prayer  ;"  and  you  will  recollect  that  I  passed  over  the  subject 
of  fofith  in  prayer  very  briefly,  because  I  wished  to  reserve  it 
Cor  a  separate  discussion.     The  subject  to-night  \a, 

THE   PBAYEB   OF   FAITH. 

I  propose, 

L  To  show  that  faith  is  an  indispensable  condition  ol  pr» 
failiDg  prayer. 

n.  Show  what  it  is  that  we  are  to  beheve  when  we  pray. 

in.  Show  when  we  are  bound  to  exercise  this  faith,  or  to 
beheve  that  we  shall  receive  the  thing  that  we  ask  for. 

rV.  That  this  kind  of  faith  in  prayer  always  does  obtain  the 
blessing  sought 

V.  Explain  how  we  are  to  come  into  a  state  of  mind,  in 
which  we  can  exercise  such  faith. 

VL  Answer  several  objections,  which  are  sometimes  alleged 
against  these  views  of  prayer. 

L  That  faith  is  an  indispensable  condition  of  prevailing 
prayer,  will  not  be  seriously  doubted.  There  is  such  a  thing 
as  offering  benevolent  desires,  which  are  acceptable  to  God  as 
such,  that  do  not  include  the  exercise  of  faith  in  regard  to 
the  actual  reception  of  those  blessings.  But  such  desires  are 
not  prevailing  prayer,  the  prayer  of  faith.  God  may  see  fit 
to  grant  the  things  desired,  as  an  act  of  kindness  and  love, 
but  it  would  not  be  properly  in  answer  to  prayer.  I  am  speak- 
ing now  of  the  kmd  of  faith  that  insures  the  blessing.  Do 
not  understand  me  as  saying  that  there  is  nothing  in  prayer 
that  is  acceptable  to  God,  or  that  even  obtains  the  blessing 
sometimes,  without  this  kind  of  faith.  But  I  am  speaking  cw 
the  faith  which  secures  the  very  blessing  it  seeks.  To  prove 
that  faith  is  indispensable  to  prevailing  prayer,  it  is  only  ne- 


TOE    PBATEB   OF   FAITH.  6f 

cessary  to  repeat  what  the  a]X)8tle  James  expressly  tells  ns  : 
"  If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God,  that  giveth  to 
all  men  Hberally,  and  upbraideth  not ;  and  it  shall  be  given  him. 
But  let  him  ask  in  faith,  nothing  wavering.  For  he  that  waver- 
eth  is  hke  a  wave  of  the  sea,  driven  with  the  wind  and  tossed." 
IL  We  are  to  inquire  what  we  are  to  believe  when  voe  pray. 

1.  We  are  to  believe  in  the  existence  of  God — "  He  that 
oometh  to  God  must  believe  that  he  is  " — and  in  his  willing- 
ness to  answer  prayer — "  that  he  is,  and  that  he  is  the  reward- 
er  of  them  that  diligently  seek  him."  There  are  many  who 
beheve  in  the  existence  of  God,  and  do  not  believe  in  the  effi- 
cacy of  prayer.  They  profess  to  beheve  in  God,  but  deny  the 
necessity  or  influence  of  prayer. 

2.  We  art  to  believe  that  we  shall  receive — something — what  ? 
Not  something,  or  anything,  as  it  happens,  but  some  particu- 
lar thing  we  ask  for.  We  are  not  to  think  that  God  is  such 
a  being,  that  if  we  ask  a  fish,  he  will  give  us  a  serpent,  or  if 
we  ask  bread,  he  will  give  us  a  stone.  But  he  says,  "  Whai 
things  soever  ye  desire,  when  ye  pray,  beheve  that  ye  receive 
them,  and  ye  shall  have  them.'*  With  respect  to  the  faith  of 
miracles,  it  is  plain  that  they  were  bound  to  beheve  they 
should  receive  just  what  they  asked  for — that  the  very  thing 
itself  should  come  to  pass.  That  is  what  they  were  to  be- 
lieva  Now  what  ought  men  to  beheve  in  regard  to  other 
blessings  ?  Is  it  a  mere  loose  idea,  that  if  a  man  prays  for  a 
specific  blessing,  God  will  by  some  mysterious  sovereignty  give 
something  or  other  to  him,  or  something  to  somebody  else, 
somewhere  ?  When  a  man  prays  for  his  children's  conversion, 
is  he  to  believe  that  either  his  children  will  be  converted,  or 
somebody's  else  children,  and  it  is  altogether  uncertain  which? 
All  this  is  utter  nonsense,  and  highly  dishonorable  to  God. 
No,  we  are  to  beUeve  that  we  shaU  receive  the  very  things  that 
we  ask  for.' 

HL  When  are  we  bound  to  make  this  prayer?  When 
are  we  bound  to  beheve  that  we  shall  have  the  very  things  we 
pray  for  ?  I  answer,  When  we  have  evidence  of  it  Faith 
must  always  have  evidence.  A  man  cannot  beheve  a  thing, 
unless  he  sees  something  which  he  supposes  to  be  evidenca 
He  is  under  no  obhgation  to  beheve,  and  has  no  right  to  be- 
lieve, a  thing  wiU  be  done,  unless  he  has  evidenca  It  is  the 
height  of  fanaticism  to  believe  without  evidence,  llie  kinds 
of  evidence  a  man  may  have  are  the  following  : 

1.  Suppose  that  God  has  e^jecially  promised  the  thing.  As 
for  instance,  God  says  he  is  more  ready  to  give  his  Holy 
Spirit  to  them  that  oafc  him,  than  parents  are  to  erive  bread 


TO  THE   PRAYEB   OF   FAITB« 

to  their  children.  Here  we  are  bound  to  beHeve  that  we  shaQ 
receiye  it  when  we  pray  for  it  You  have  no  right  to  put  in 
an  iff  and  say,  "Lord,  if  it  he  thy  mid,  give  us  thy  Holy 
Spirit"  This  is  to  insult  God  To  put  an  if  into  God'a 
promise,  where  God  has  put  none,  is  tantamount  to  charging 
God  with  being  insincere.  It  is  like  saving,  "  O  God,  if  thou 
art  in  earnest  in  making  these  promises,  grant  us  the  blessing 
we  pray  for." 

I  heard  of  a  case  where  a  young  convert  was  the  means  of 
teaching  a  minister  a  solemn  truth  on  the  subject  of  prayer. 
She  was  from  a  very  wicked  family,  and  went  to  Hve  with  a 
minister.  While  there,  she  was  hopefully  converted,  and  ap* 
peared  well  One  day  she  came  to  the  minister's  study,  while 
he  was  in  it — a  thing  she  was  not  in  the  habit  of  doing  ;  and 
he  thought  there  must  be  something  the  matter.  So  he  asked 
her  to  sit  down,  and  kindly  inquired  into  the  state  of  her 
rehgious  feehngs  ;  she  said,  she  was  distressed  at  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  old  church  members  prayed  for  the  Spirit 
They  would  pray  for  the  Holy  Spirit  to  come,  and  would 
seem  to  be  very  much  in  earnest,  and  plead  the  promises  of 
God,  and  then  say,  "  O  Lord,  if  it  be  thy  wiU,  grant  us  these 
blessings  for  Christ's  saka"  She  thought  that  saying,  "if  it 
be  thy  will,"  when  God  has  expressly  promised  it,  was  ques- 
tioning whether  God  was  suicere  in  his  promises.  The  min- 
ister tried  to  reason  her  out  of  it,  and  of  course  he  succeeded 
in  confoundhig  her.  But  she  was  distressed  and  filled  with 
grief,  and  said,  "  I  cannot  argue  the  point  with  you,  sir,  but 
it  is  impressed  on  my  mind  that  it  is  wrong,  and  dishonoiing 
God-'*  And  she  went  away  weeping  with  anguish.  The 
minister  saw  she  was  not  satisfied,  and  it  led  him  to  look  at 
the  matter  agaia,  and  finally  he  saw  that  it  was  putting  in 
an  i/  where  God  had  put  none,  and  where  he  had  revealed  his 
will  expressly,  and  that  it  was  an  insult  to  God  And  he  went 
and  told  his  chui-ch  they  were  bound  to  beheve  that  God  was 
in  earnest  when  he  made  them  a  promise.  And  the  spirit  of 
prayer  came  down  upon  that  church,  and  a  most  powerful 
revival  followed 

2.  Where  there  is  a  general  promise  m  the  Scriptures  which 
you  may  reasonably  apply  to  the  particular  case  before  you. 
If  its  real  meaning  includes  the  particular  thing  for  which  yon 
pray,  or  if  you  can  reasonably  apply  the  principle  of  the 
promise  to  the  case,  there  you  have  evidence.  For  instance, 
suppose  it  is  a  tune  when  wickedness  prevails  greatly,  and 
you  are  led  to  pray  for  God's  interference?  What  promise 
have  you  ?     Why,  tliis  one  *  "  When  the  enemy  shall  come 


THE    PBATEB    OP    FAITH  Tl 

In  like  a  flood,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  lift  up  a  standard 
against  hiin."  Here  you  see  is  a  general  promise  laying  down 
a  piincipla  of  God's  administration,  which  you  may  apply  to 
the  case  before  you,  as  a  warrant  for  exercising  faith  in  prayer. 
And  if  the  case  come  up,  to  inquire  as  to  the  tim^  in  which  God 
will  grant  blessings  in  answer  to  prayer,  you  have  this  promr 
ise  :    "  While  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will  hear." 

There  is  a  vast  amount  of  general  promises  and  principles 
iaid  down  in  the  Bible,  which  Christians  might  make  use  o^ 
If  the)'  would  only  tkink  Whenever  you  are  in  circumstances 
to  which  the  promises  or  principles  apply,  there  you  are  to 
use  them.  A  parent  finds  this  promise  :  "  The  mercy  of  the 
Lord  is  from  everlasting  to  everlasting  upon  them  that  fear 
him,  and  his  righteousness  unto  cnildren's  children,  to  such  as 
keep  his  covenant,  and  to  those  that  remember  his  com* 
mandments  to  do  them-"  Now,  here  is  a  promise  made  to 
those  that  possess  a  certain  character.  If  any  parent  is  con- 
scious that  this  is  his  character,  he  has  a  rightful  ground  to 
apply  it  to  himself  and  his  family.  If  you  have  this  character, 
you  are  bound  to  make  use  of  this  promise  in  prayer,  and  be- 
lieve it,  even  to  your  children's  children. 

If  I  had  time  to-night,  I  could  go  from  one  end  of  the  Bible 
to  the  other,  and  produce  an  astonishing  vajiety  of  texts  that 
are  appHcable  as  promises  ;  enough  to  prove,  that  in  what- 
ever circumstances  a  child  of  God  may  be  placed,  God  has 
provided  in  the  Bible  some  promise,  either  general  or  pcirtio 
ular,  which  he  can  apply,  that  is  precisely  suited  to  his  case. 
Many  of  God's  promises  are  very  broad  on  purpose  to  cover 
much  ground.  What  can  be  broader  than  the  promise  in 
the  text :  "  Whatsoever  things  ye  desire  when  ye  pray  ?" 
What  praying  Christian  is  there  who  has  not  been  surprised 
at  the  length,  and  breadth,  and  fullness,  of  the  promises  of 
God,  when  the  Spirit  has  applied  them  to  his  heart  ?  Who 
that  Uves  a  life  of  prayer,  has  not  wondered  at  his  own  blind- 
ness, in  not  having  before  seen  and  felt  the  extent  of  meaning 
and  richness  of  those  promises,  when  viewed  under  the  light 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  ?  At  such  times  he  has  been  astonished 
at  his  own  ignorance,  and  found  the  Spirit  applying  the 
promises  and  declarations  of  the  Bible  in  a  sense  in  which  he 
had  never  di'eamed  of  their  being  apphcable  before.  The 
manner  in  which  the  apostles  applied  the  promises,  and 
prophecies,  and  declarations  of  the  Old  Testament,  places  in 
A  sti'ong  light  the  breadth  of  meaning,  and  fullness,  and  rich- 
ness of  the  word  of  God.  He  that  walks  in  the  light  of  God's 
oonntenance,  and  is  filled  with  th<»  Spirit  of  Gt)d  as  he  ought 


72  THE   PBATEB   OF   FAITH. 

fco  be,  will  often  make  an  appropriation  of  promises  to  hhxt 
self,  and  an  application  of  tliem  to  his  own  circumstances,  and 
the  circumstances  of  those  for  whom  he  prays,  that  a  blind 
prjDfessor  of  religion  would  never  dream  of. 

3.  Where  there  is  any  propketw  declaraiion,  that  the  thing 

E rayed  for  is  agreeable  to  the  will  of  God.  "VVTien  it  is  plain 
"om  prophecy  that  the  event  is  cei-tainly  to  come,  you  are 
boimd  to  beUeve  it,  and  to  make  it  the  groimd  for  your  sp^ 
dal  faith  in  prayer.  If  the  time  is  not  specified  in  the  Bible^ 
and  there  is  no  evidence  from  other  sources,  you  are  not 
bound  to  believe  thai  it  shall  take  place  now,  or  immediately. 
But  if  the  time  is  specified,  or  if  the  time  may  be  learned 
from  the  study  of  the  prophecies,  and  it  appears  to  have  ar- 
rived, then  Cluistians  are  under  obhgations  to  understand  and 
apply  it,  by  offering  the  prayer  of  faith.  For  instance,  take 
the  c£ise  of  Daniel,  Ji  regard  to  the  return  of  the  Jews  from 
captivity.  What  ioes  he  say?  "I  Daniel  understood  by 
books  the  number  of  the  years  whereof  the  word  of  the  Lord 
came  to  Jeremi  Ji  the  prophet,  that  he  would  accomplish 
seventy  years  in  the  desolations  of  Jerusalem."  Here  he 
learned  from  books,  that  is,  he  studied  his  Bible,  and  in  that 
way  understood  that  the  length  of  the  captivity  was  to  be 
seventy  years.  AVhat  does  he  do  then  ?  Does  he  sit  down 
upon  the  promise,  and  say,  "  God  has  pledged  himself  to  put 
an  end  to  the  captivity  ia  seventy  years,  and  the  time  has  ex- 
pired, and  there  is  no  need  of  doing  any  thing  ?"  Oh  no  ;  he 
says,  "  And  I  set  my  face  uato  the  Lord  God,  to  seek  by 
prayer  and  suppHcations,  with  fasting,  and  sackcloth,  and 
ashes."  He  set  himself  at  once  to  pray  that  the  thing  might 
be  accompHshed.  He  pra^^ed  ia  faith.  But  what  was  he  to 
beUeve  ?  What  he  had  learned  from  prophecy.  There  are 
many  prophecies  yet  unfulfilled,  in  the  Bible,  which  Chris- 
tians are  boimd  to  understand,  as  far  as  they  are  capable  of 
understanding  them,  and  then  make  them  the  basis  of  b^ 
lieving  prayer.  Do  not  think,  as  some  seem  to,  that  be- 
cause  a  thing  is  foretold  in  prophecy  it  is  not  necessary  to 
pray  for  it,  or  that  it  will  come  whether  Christians  pray  for  it 
or  not  There  is  no  truth  in  this.  God  says,  in  regard  to 
this  very  class  of  events,  which  are  revealed  in  prophecy, 
"Nevertheless,  for  all  these  things  will  I  be  inquired  of  by 
the  house  of  Israel  to  do  it  for  them." 

4.  When  the  signs  of  the  times,  or  the  providence  of  God, 
indicate  that  a  pai-ticular  blessing  is  about  to  be  bestowed, 
we  are  bound  to  beheve  it.  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  blamed 
the  Jews,  and  called  them  hypociites,  because  they  did  not 


THB   PBA^EB    OF    FAITEL  Tl 

nnderetand  the  indications  of  Providence.  They  could  Utt- 
derstand  the  ei<^s  of  the  weather,  and  see  when  it  was  ahout 
to  rain,  and  when  it  would  be  fair  weather  ;  but  they  could 
not  see,  from  the  signs  of  the  times,  that  the  time  had  come 
for  the  Messiah  to  appear,  and  build  up  the  house  of  God. 
There  are  many  professors  of  religion  who  are  always  stum- 
bling and  hanguig  back,  whenever  any  thing  is  pro]>osed  to 
be  done.  They  always  say.  The  time  has  not  come — the 
time  has  not  come  ;  when  there  are  others  who  pay  atten- 
tion to  tlie  signs  of  the  times,  and  who  have  spiritual  discern* 
ment  to  understand  them.  These  pray  in  faith  for  the 
blessing,  and  it  comes. 

5.  Wlien  the  Spirit  of  God  is  upon  you,  and  excites  strong 
desu-es  for  any  blessuig,  vou  are  bound  to  pray  for  it  in  faith. 
You  are  bound  to  infer,  from  the  fact  that  you  find  yourself 
drawn  to  desire  such  a  tiling  while  in  the  exercise  of  such 
holy  affections  as  the  Spirit  of  God  produces,  that  these  de- 
sires are  the  work  of  the  Spirit.  People  are  not  apt  to  desire 
with  the  right  kind  of  desires,  unless  they  are  excited  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.  The  apostle  refers  to  these  desires,  excited  by 
the  Spirit,  in  his  epistle  to  the  Romans,  where  he  says — 
"  Likewise  the  Spirit  also  helpeth  our  infiiinities,  for  we  Imow 
not  what  we  should  pray  for  as  we  ought ;  but  the  Spirit  itr 
self  maketh  intercession  for  us  with  groanings  which  cannot 
be  uttered.  And  he  that  searcheth  the  heai-t  kuoweth  what 
is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit,  because  he  maketh  intercession  for 
the  saints,  according  to  the  will  of  God."  Here,  then,  if  you 
find  yourself  strongly  drawn  to  desire  a  blessing,  you  are  to 
understand  it  as  an  intimation  that  God  is  willing  to  bestow 
that  particular  blessing,  and  so  you  are  bound  to  believe 
it  God  does  not  trifle  with  his  children.  He  does  not  go 
and  excite  in  them  a  desire  for  one  blessing,  to  turn  them 
off  with  something  else.  But  he  excites  the  very  desires  he  is 
willing  to  gratify.  And  when  they  feel  such  desires,  they  are 
bound  to  follow  them  out  till  they  get  the  blessing. 

rV.  I  will  proceed  to  show  that  this  kind  of  faith  always  ob- 
tains  the  object  The  text  is  plain  here,  to  show  that  you  shall 
receive  the  very  thing  prayed  for.  It  does  not  say,  "  Believe 
that  ye  shall  receive,  and  ye  shall  either  have  that  or  some- 
thing else  equivalent  to  it."  To  prove  that  this  faith  obtains 
the  very  blessing  asked,  I  obsen'e, 

1.  That  otherwise  we  could  never  know  whether  our  pray- 
ers were  answered.  And  we  might  continue  praying  and 
praying,  long  after  the  prayer  was  answered  by  some  other 
nlesaing  equivalent  to  the  one  we  ask  for. 


t4  THE   PBATBB    OF   FAJTH. 

2.  If  we  are  not  bound  to  expect  the  very  thing  we  ask  for, 
it  must  be  that  the  Spiiit  of  God  deceives  us.  Why  should 
he  excite  us  to  desire  a  certain  blessing,  when  he  means  to 
grant  something  else  ? 

3.  W  hat  is  the  meaning  of  this  passage,  "  K  a  man  ask 
bread,  will  he  give  him  a  stone  ?  "  Does  not  oiir  Saviour  re- 
buke the  idea  that  prayer  may  be  answered  by  giving  som^ 
thing  else  ?  What  encouragement  have  we  to  pray  for  any 
thing  in  particular,  if  we  ai*e  to  ask  for  one  thing  and  receive 
another  ?  Suppose  a  Christian  should  pray  for  a  revival  here 
— he  would  be  answered  by  a  revival  in  China.  Or  he  might 
pray  for  a  revival,  and  God  would  send  the  cholera,  or  an 
eai*thquaka  All  the  history  of  the  church  shows  that  when 
God  answers  prayer,  he  gives  his  people  the  very  thing  for 
which  their  prayers  are  oftered.  God  confers  other  blessings, 
on  both  saints  and  sinners,  which  they  do  not  pray  for  at  alL 
He  sends  his  rain  both  upon  the  just  and  the  unjust.  But 
when  he  answers  prayer,  it  is  by  doing  what  they  ask  him  to 
do.  To  be  sure,  he  often  more  than  answers  prayer.  He 
grants  them  not  only  what  they  ask,  but  often  connects  other 
blessings  with  it 

4  Perhaps  you  may  feel  a  difficulty  here  about  the  prayers 
of  Jesus  Christ  People  may  often  ask,  "  Did  not  he  pray  in 
the  garden  for  the  cup  to  be  removed,  and  was  his  prayer 
answered  ?  "  I  answer  that  this  is  no  difficulty  at  all,  for  the 
prayer  was  answered.  The  cup  he  prayed  to  be  deUvered 
from  was  removed  This  is  what  the  apostle  refers  to,  when 
he  says — "  Who  in  the  days  of  his  flesh,  when  he  had  offered 
up  prayers  and  supplications  with  strong  crying  and  tears 
unto  him  that  was  able  to  save  him  from  death,  was  heard  in 
that  he  feared."  Now  I  ask,  On  what  occasion  was  he  saved 
from  death,  if  not  on  this  ?  Was  it  the  death  of  the  cross 
he  prayed  to  be  dehvered  from  ?  Not  at  aU.  But  the  case 
was  this.  A  short  time  before  he  was  betrayed,  we  hear  him 
saying  to  his  disciples,  "  My  soul  is  exceedingly  sorrowful, 
even  unto  death."  Anguish  of  mind  came  rolling  in  upon 
him,  tiU  he  was  just  ready  to  die,  and  he  went  out  iato  a  gar- 
den to  pray,  and  told  his  disciples  to  watch,  and  then  he  went 
by  himself  and  prayed  ;  "O  my  Father,"  said  he,  "if  it  be 
possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  me  ;  nevertheless  not  as  I  will, 
but  as  thou  wilt"  In  his  agony  he  rose  from  his  knees,  and 
walked  the  garden,  tiQ  he  came  where  his  disciples  were,  and 
there  he  saw  them  fast  asleep.  He  awaked  them  and  said, 
"  What,  could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  hour  ?  "  And  then 
he  went  again,  lor  he  was  in  such  distress  that  he  could  no* 


THE   PRATEB   O^    FA.ITH.  Tt 

■tand  still,  and  again  he  poured  out  his  soul  And  the  third 
time  he  goes  away  aud  prays,  "  Father,  if  thou  be  willing, 
remove  this  cup  from  me  ;  neveiihelesB,  not  my  will,  but  thine 
be  done."  And  now  the  third  time  of  praying,  there  appear- 
ed an  angel  unto  him  from  heaven,  strengtheiung  him.  And 
his  mind  became  composed,  and  calm,  and  the  cup  won  gone, 
TiU  then,  he  had  been  in  such  an  agony  that  his  sweat  was  as 
it  were  great  drops  of  blood,  but  now  it  was  all  over. 

Some  have  supposed  that  he  was  praying  against  the  cross, 
and  begging  to  be  delivered  from  dying  on  the  cross  1  Did 
Christ  ever  shrink  from  the  cross  ?  Never.  He  came  into 
the  world  on  purpose  to  die  on  the  cross,  and  he  never  shrunk 
from  it  But  he  was  afraid  he  should  die  in  the  garden  be- 
fore he  came  to  the  cross.  The  burden  on  his  soul  was  so 
great,  and  produced  such  an  agony,  that  he  felt  as  if  he  was 
on  the  point  of  dying.  His  soul  was  sorrowful  even  unto 
death.  But  after  the  angel  appeared  unto  him,  we  hear  no 
more  of  his  agony  of  souL  He  had  prayed  for  relief  from 
ihcU  cup,  and  his  prayer  was  answered-  He  became  calm, 
and  had  no  more  mental  suffering  till  just  as  he  expired. 
This  case,  therefore,  is  no  exception.  He  received  the  very 
thing  for  which  he  asked,  as  he  says,  "  I  knew  thou  always 
hearest  me." 

But  there  is  another  case  often  brought  up,  where  the  apos- 
tle Paul  prayed  against  the  thorn  in  tiie  flesh.  He  says,  "  I 
besought  the  Lord  thrice,  that  it  might  depart  from  me.** 
And  God  answered  him,  "  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee.** 
It  is  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Clai'ke  and  others,  that  Paul's  prayer 
was  answered  in  the  very  thing  for  which  he  prayed.  That 
"  the  thorn  in  the  flesh,  the  messenger  of  Satan,"  of  which 
he  speaks,  was  a  false  apostle  who  had  distracted  and  per* 
verted  the  church  at  Corinth.  That  Paul  prayed  against  hia 
influence,  and  the  Lord  answered  him  by  assuring  him,  "  My 
grace  is  sufficient  for  thee.**  Who  does  not  know  that  it  was, 
and  that  Paul's  influence  ultimately  triumphed  ? 

But  admitting  that  Paul's  prayer  was  not  answered  by 
granting  the  pai-ticular  thing  for  which  he  prayed,  in  order 
to  make  out  this  case  as  an  exception  to  the  prayer  of  faith, 
they  are  obliged  to  assume  the  very  thing  to  be  pi*oved  ;  and 
thai  is,  that  the  apostle  prayed  in  faith.  There  is  no  reason  to 
suppose  that  Paul  would  always  pray  in  faith,  any  more  than 
that  any  other  Christian  does.  The  very  manner  in  which 
God  answered  him  shows  that  it  was  not  in  faith.  He  virtu- 
ally tells  him,  "  That  thorn  is  necessary  for  your  sanctifies 
tion,  and  to  keep  you  from  being  exalted  above  measure.    ] 


te  THE   PRATER   OF   FAITH. 

Bent  it  upon  you  in  love,  and  in  faitlifulness,  and  you  haye 
no  business  to  pray  that  I  should  take  it  away. — LET  IT 
ALONE." 

There  is  not  only  no  evidence  that  he  prayed  in  faith,  but 
a  strong  presumption  that  he  did  not.  IVom  the  history  it 
is  evident  that  he  had  nothing  on  which  to  repose  faith. 
There  was  no  express  promise,  no  general  promise,  that  could 
be  appHcable,  no  providence  of  God,  no  prophecy,  no  teach- 
ing of  the  Spirit  that  God  would  remove  this  thorn  ;  but  the 
presumption  was  that  God  would  not  remove  it.  He  had 
given  it  to  him  for  a  particular  pui'pose.  His  prayer  appears 
to  have  been  selfish,  or  at  least  praying  against  a  mere  per- 
sonal influence.  This  was  not  any  personal  suffering  that  re* 
tarded  his  usefuhiess,  but  on  the  contrary  it  was  given  hin) 
to  increase  his  usefulness  by  keeping  him  humble  ;  and  be- 
cause on  some  account  he  foimd  it  inconvenient  and  mortify- 
ing, he  set  himseK  to  pray  out  of  his  own  heart,  evidently 
without  being  led  to  it  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  But  did  Paul 
pray  in  faith  without  the  Spirit  of  God,  any  more  than  any 
other  man?  And  will  any  one  undertake  to  say  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  led  him  to  pray  that  this  might  be  removed, 
when  God  himself  had  given  it  for  a  particulai'  purpose,  which 
purpose  could  not  be  answered  only  as  the  thorn  continued 
with  him? 

Why  then  is  this  made  an  exception  to  the  general  rule 
laid  down  in  the  text,  that  a  man  shall  receive  whatsoever  he 
asks  in  faith  ?  I  was  once  amazed  and  grieved  at  a  public 
examination  at  a  Theological  Seminaiy,  to  hear  them  darken 
counsel  by  words  without  knowledge  on  this  subject  This 
case  of  Paul,  and  that  of  Christ  just  adverted  to,  were  both 
of  them  cited  as  instances  to  prove  to  their  students  that  the 
prayer  of  faith  would  not  be  answered  in  the  particular  thing 
for  which  they  prayed.  Now  to  teach  such  sentiments  as  these 
in  or  out  of  a  Theological  Seminaiy,  is  to  trifle  with  the  word 
of  God,  and  to  break  the  power  of  the  Christian  ministry. 
Has  it  come  to  this,  that  our  grave  doctors  in  our  seminaries, 
are  employed  to  instinct  Zion's  watchmen,  to  beheve  and 
teach  that  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  the  prayer  of  faith  is 
to  be  answered  in  granting  the  object  for  which  we  pray  ?  Oh, 
tell  it  not  in  Gath,  nor  let  the  sound  reach  Askelon !  What  is 
io  become  of  the  church  while  such  are  the  views  of  its  grav- 
est and  most  influential  ministers  ?  I  would  not  be  unkind 
nor  censorious,  but  as  one  of  the  ministers  of  Jbsus  Christ,  I 
feel  bound  to  bear  testimony  against  such  a  perversion  of  th«» 
word  of  Grod. 


IHB  PSATEB  or  VATrm.  ti 

ft.  It  i«  evident  that  the  prayer  of  faith  will  obtain  the 
blessing,  from  the  fact  that  our  faith  rests  on  evidence  tliat  to 
grant  ^al  thing  is  the  will  of  GocL  Not  evidence  that  some- 
thing else  will  be  granted,  but  that  this  particular  thing  will 
be.  But  how,  then,  can  we  have  evidence  that  Ihi^  tiling  will 
be  granted,  if  another  thing  is  to  be  granted  ?  People  often 
receive  more  than  they  prav  for.  Solomon  prayed  for  wisdom, 
and  God  granted  him  riches  and  honor  in  addition.  So  a 
wife  sometimes  prays  for  the  conversion  of  her  husl^aud,  and 
if  she  offers  the  prayer,  of  faith,  God  may  not  only  gi-ant  thai 
blessing,  but  convert  her  child,  and  her  whole  family.  Bless- 
ings sometimes  seem  to  hang  together,  so  that  if  a  Christian 
gams  one  he  gets  them  all. 

V.  I  am  to  show  how  we  are  to  come  into  this  state  of 
mind,  in  which  we  can  offer  such  prayer.  People  sometimes 
ask,  "  How  shall  I  offer  such  prayer  ?  Shall  I  say.  Now  I 
will  pray  in  faith  for  such  and  such  a  blessing  ?  "  No,  the 
hmnan  mind  is  not  moved  in  tliis  way.  You  might  just  aa 
well  say,  "  Now  I  will  call  up  a  spirit  from  the  bottomless  pii* 
I  answer, 

1.  You  must  first  obtain  evidence  that  God  will  bestow  the 
blessing.  How  did  Daniel  make  out  to  offer  the  prayer  of 
faith  ?  He  searched  the  Scriptures.  Now,  you  need  not  let 
your  Bible  He  on  a  shelf,  and  expect  God  to  reveal  his  prom- 
ises to  you.  Search  the  Scriptures,  and  see  where  you  can  get 
either  a  general  or  special  promise,  or  a  prophecy,  on  wliich 
you  can  plant  your  feet  when  you  pray.  Go  through  the 
Bible,  and  you  ^ill  find  it  full  of  such  things — precious  prom- 
ises, which  you  may  plead  in  faith.  You  never  need  to  want 
for  objects  of  prayer,  if  you  will  do  as  Daniel  ditl  Persons 
are  staggered  on  tliis  subject,  because  they  never  make  a  prop- 
er use  of  the  Bibla 

A  cm'ious  case  occun-ed  in  one  of  the  towns  in  the  western 
part  of  this  State.  There  was  a  revival  thera  A  cei-tain  der- 
g^Tnan  came  to  visit  the  place,  and  heai'd  a  great  deal  said 
about  the  Prayer  of  Faith.  He  was  staggered  at  what  they 
said,  for  he  had  never  regarded  the  subject  in  the  Hght  they 
did-  He  inquired  about  it  of  the  minister  that  was  laboring 
there,  llie  minister  requested  him,  in  a  kind  spirit,  to  go 
home,  and  take  his  Testament,  look  out  the  passages  that  re- 
fer to  prayer,  and  go  round  to  his  most  praying  people,  and 
ask  them  how  they  understood  these  passiiges.  He  said  he 
would  do  it,  for  though  these  views  were  new  to  him,  he  was 
willing  to  learn.  He  did  it,  and  went  to  his  praying  men  and 
women,  and  read  the  passages  without  note  or  comment,  and 


T8  IHK    PRATEB    OF    FAITH. 

asked  what  they  thought  He  found  their  plain  common 
sense  had  led  them  to  understand  these  passages,  and  to  be- 
lieve that  they  mean  just  as  they  say.  This  affected  him,  and 
then  the  fact  of  his  going  round  and  presenting  the  promises 
beiore  their  minds  awakened  the  spirit  of  prayer  in  them,  and 
a  revival  followed. 

I  could  name  many  individuals  who  have  set  themselves  to 
examine  the  Bible  on  this  subject,  and  before  they  got  half 
through  with  it  have  been  filled  with  the  spirit  of  prayer. 
They  found  tliat  God  meant  by  his  promises  just  what  a  plain, 
common  sense  man  would  understand  them  to  mean.  I  ad 
Tise  you  to  try  it.  You  have  Bibles  ;  look  them  over,  and 
whenever  you  find  a  promise  that  you  can  use,  fasten  it  in 
your  mind  before  you  go  on  ;  and  I  venture  to  predict  you 
will  not  get  through  the  book  without  finding  out  that  God's 
promises  mean  just  what  they  say. 

2.  Cherish  the  good  desires  you  have.  Christians  very  often 
lose  their  good  desires  by  not  attending  to  this  ;  and  then 
their  prayers  are  mere  words,  without  any  desire  or  earnest- 
ness at  all.  The  least  longing  of  desire  must  be  clierished 
If  your  body  was  likely  to  freeze,  and  you  had  even  the  leasi 
spark  of  fire,  how  you  would  cherish  it  1  So  if  you  have  the 
least  desire  for  a  blessing,  let  it  be  ever  so  smaU,  don't  trifle 
it  away.  Do  not  grieve  the  Spirit  Do  not  be  diverted.  Do 
not  lose  good  desires  by  levity,  by  censoriousness,  by  worldly* 
mindedness.  Watch  and  pray,  and  foUow  it  up,  or  you  will 
never  pray  the  prayer  of  faith. 

2.  FMire  consecration  to  God  is  indispensable  to  the  prayer  of 
faith.  You  must  live  a  holy  life,  and  consecrate  all  to  God — 
your  time,  talents,  influence — aU  you  have,  and  all  you  are,  to 
be  his  entirely.  Read  the  lives  of  pious  men,  and  you  will  be 
struck  with  tliis  fact :  that  they  used  to  set  apart  times  to  re- 
new their  covenant,  and  dedicate  themselves  anew  to  God ; 
and  whenever  they  have  done  so,  a  blessing  has  always  fol- 
lowed immediately.  If  I  had  Edwards  here  to-nightj  I  could 
read  passages  showing  how  it  was  in  his  days. 

4.  You  must  persevere.  You  are  not  to  pray  for  a  thing 
once,  and  then  cease,  and  call  that  the  prayer  of  faith.  Looh 
at  Daniel  He  prayed  twenty-one  days,  and  did  not  cease  till 
he  had  obt-ained  the  blessing.  He  set  his  heart  and  his  face 
onto  the  Lord,  to  seek  by  prayer  and  supplications,  with  fast 
mg,  and  sackcloth,  and  ashes  :  and  he  held  on  three  weekg, 
and  then  the  answer  came.  And  why  did  not  it  come  before  ? 
God  sent  an  Archangel  to  bear  the  message,  but  the  devil 
hindered  him  all  this  tinia     Beie  what  Christ  says  in  the  par 


THE   PSJlTEB   of   PUTH.  79 

able  of  the  unjust  judge,  and  the  parable  of  the  loaves.  What 
does  he  teach  us  by  them  ?  Why,  that  God  will  grant  an- 
swers to  prayer  when  it  is  importunate.  "Shall  not  God 
avenge  his  own  elect,  who  cry  day  and  night  unio  him  f" 

5.  If  you  would  pray  in  faith,  be  sui'e  to  walk  every  day  vyith 
Ood.  If  you  do,  he  wlQ  teU  you  what  to  pray  for.  Be  filled 
with  his  Spirit,  and  he  wiU  give  you  objects  enough  to  pray 
for.  He  wiU  give  you  as  much  of  the  spirit  of  prayer  as  you 
have  strength  of  body  to  bear. 

Said  a  good  man  to  me,  "  Oh,  I  am  dying  for  the  want  of 
strength  to  pray.  My  body  is  crushed,  the  world  is  on  me, 
and  how  can  I  forbear  praying  I"  I  have  known  that  man  go 
to  bed  absolutely  sick,  for  weakness  and  faintness,  under  the 
pressiu-a  And  I  have  known  him  pray  as  if  he  would  do  vio- 
lence to  heaven,  and  thfin  seen  the  blessing  come  as  plainly 
in  answer  to  his  prayer  as  if  it  was  revealed,  so  that  no  person 
would  doubt  it  any  more  than  if  God  had  spoken  from  heaven. 
ShaU  I  tell  you  how  he  died  ?  He  prayed  more  and  more, 
and  he  used  to  take  the  map  of  the  world  before  him  and 
pray,  and  look  over  the  different  countries  and  pray  for  them, 
till  he  absolutely  expired  in  his  room  praying.  Blessed  man  I 
He  was  the  reproach  of  the  ungodly  and  of  carnal,  unbeHev- 
ing  professors,  but  he  was  the  favorite  of  heaven,  and  a  pre- 
vajling  prince  in  prayer. 

VL  I  will  refer  to  some  objections  which  are  brought  foi^ 
ward  agaiQst  this  doctrine. 

1.  "  It  leads  to  fanaticism  and  amounts  to  a  new  revela- 
tion." Why  should  this  be  a  stumbling  block?  They  must 
have  evidence  to  beheve  before  they  can  offer  the  prayer  of 
faith.  And  if  God  gives  other  evidence  besides  the  senses, 
where  is  the  objection  ?  True,  there  is  a  sense  in  which  this 
is  a  new  revelation  ;  it  is  making  known  a  thing  by  his  Spirit 
But  it  is  the  very  revelation  which  God  has  promised  to  giva 
It  is  just  the  one  we  are  to  expect,  if  the  Bible  is  true  ;  that 
when  we  know  not  what  we  ought  to  pray  for,  according  to 
the  will  of  God,  his  Spirit  helps  our  infirmities,  and  teadies 
us  the  very  thing  to  pray  for.  Shall  we  deny  the  teaching  of 
the  Spirit  ? 

2.  It  is  often  asked,  "  Is  it  our  duty  to  pray  the  prayer  of 
faith  for  the  salvation  of  all  men  ?"  I  answer,  No  ;  for  that 
is  not  a  thing  according  to  the  wiU  of  God  It  is  directly 
contiary  to  his  revealed  will  We  have  no  evidence  that  aU 
will  be  saved-  We  should  feel  benevolently  to  all,  and,  in 
itself  considered,  desire  their  salvation.  But  God  has  revealed 
ii  to  us  that  many  of  the  human  race  shall  be  danmed.     And 


80  THS    PRAYER    OF    FAITH. 

it  cannot  be  a  duty  to  believe  that  they  shall  all  be  saved,  in 
the  face  of  a  revelation  to  the  contrary.  In  Christ's  prayer, 
in  the  seventeenth  chapter  of  John,  he  expressly  said,  "  I  pray 
not  for  the  v7orld  but  for  those  thou  hast  given  me.*' 

3.  But  say  some,  "  K  we  vjere  to  offer  this  prayer  for  all 
men,  v\^ould  not  all  men  be  saved  ?"  I  answer,  Yes,  and  so 
they  would  be  saved,  if  they  would  aU  repent  JBut  they  will 
not  Neither  will  Christians  offer  the  prayer  of  faith  for  all, 
because  there  is  no  evidence  on  which  to  ground  a  behef  that 
God  intends  to  save  aU  men. 

4  But  you  ask,  "  For  whom  are  we  to  offer  this  prayer  ? 
We  want  to  know  m  what  cases,  for  what  persons,  and  places, 
and  at  what  times,  etc,  we  are  to  make  the  prayer  of  faith." 
I  answer,  as  I  have  already  answered,  When  you  have  evi- 
dence, fi'om  promises,  or  prophecies,  or  providences,  or  the 
leadings  of  the  Spirit,  that  God  will  do  the  things  you  pray 
for. 

5.  "  How  is  it  that  so  many  prayers  of  pious  parents  for 
their  children  are  not  answered  ?  Did  you  not  say  there  was 
a  promise  which  pious  parents  may  apply  to  their  children  ? 
Why  is  it,  then,  that  so  many  pious  praying  parents  have  had 
impenitent  children,  that  died  in  their  sins  ?"  Granted  that 
it  is  so,  what  does  it  prove  ?  Let  God  be  true,  but  every  man 
a  Har.  Which  shall  we  beheve,  that  God's  promise  has  failed, 
or  that  these  parents  did  not  do  their  duty  ?  Perhaps  they 
did  not  beheve  the  promise,  or  did  not  beheve  there  was  any 
such  thing  as  the  prayer  of  faith.  Wherever  you  find  a  pro- 
fessor that  does  not  believe  in  any  such  prayer,  you  find,  as  a 
general  thing,  that  he  has  children  and  domestics  yet  in  their 
sins.  And  no  wonder,  unless  they  are  converted  in  answer 
to  the  prayers  of  somebody  else. 

6.  "Will  not  these  views  lead  to  fanaticism?  Will  not 
many  people  think  they  are  offering  the  prayer  of  faith 
when  they  are  not  ?"  That  is  the  same  objection  that  the 
Unitarians  make  agaiast  the  doctrine  of  regeneration — that 
many  people  think  they  have  been  bom  again  when  they  have 
not  It  is  an  argument  against  all  spiritual  rehgion  whatever. 
Some  think  they  have  it  when  they  have  not,  and  are  fanatics. 
But  there  are  those  who  hnow  what  the  prayer  of  faith  is,  just 
as  there  are  those  who  know  what  spiritual  experience  is, 
though  it  may  stumble  cold-hearted  professors  who  know  it 
not  Even  ministers  often  lay  themselves  open  to  the  rebuke 
which  Christ  gave  to  Nicodemus  •  "  Art  thou  a  master  in  I» 
rael,  acd  knowest  not  these  things  ^ 


THB    TBATUn    OF   FUTB.  $1 


L  Persons  who  have  not  known  by  experience  what  this  ia^ 
have  great  reason  to  doubt  their  piety.  This  is  by  no  means 
tincharitable.  Let  them  examine  themselves.  It  is  to  be 
feared  that  they  understand  prayer  as  Nicodemus  did  the 
new  birth.  They  have  not  walked  with  God,  and  you  cannot 
describe  it  to  them,  any  more  than  you  can  describe  a  beauti* 
fol  painting  to  a  blind  man  who  cannot  see  colors.  Many 
professors  can  understand  about  the  prayer  of  faith  just  as 
much  as  a  blind  man  does  of  colors. 

2.  There  is  reason  to  believe  milhons  are  in  hell  because 
professors  have  not  offered  the  prayer  of  faith.  When  they 
had  promises  under  their  eye,  they  have  not  had  faith  enough 
to  use  thenL  Tlius  parents  let  their  children,  and  even  bap- 
tized children,  go  down  to  hell  because  they  would  not  beUeve 
the  promises  of  God.  Doubtless  many  women's  husbands 
have  gone  to  hell,  when  they  might  have  prevailed  with  God 
in  prayer  and  saved  them.  The  signs  of  the  times  and  the 
indications  of  Providence  were  favorable,  perhaps,  and  the 
Spirit  of  God  prompted  desires  for  their  salvation,  and  they 
had  evidence  enough  to  believe  that  God  was  ready  to  grant 
a  blessing,  and  if  they  had  only  prayed  in  faith,  God  would 
have  granted  it ;  but  God  turned  it  away  because  they  would 
not  discern  the  signs  of  the  times. 

3.  You  say,  "  This  leaves  the  church  under  a  great  load  of 
guilt"  True,  it  does  so  ;  and  no  doubt  multitudes  will  stand 
up  before  God  covered  all  over  with  the  blood  of  souls  that 
have  been  lost  through  their  want  of  faith.  The  promises  of 
God,  accmnulated  in  their  Bibles,  will  stare  them  in  the  face 
and  weigh  them  down  to  hell. 

4.  Many  professors  of  rehgion  hve  so  far  from  God  that  to 
talk  to  them  about  the  prayer  of  faith  is  all  uninteUigibla 
Very  often  the  greatest  offence  possible  to  them  is  to  preach 
about  this  kind  of  prayer. 

5.  I  want  to  ask  the  professors  who  are  here  a  few  que* 
'ions.  Do  you  know  what  it  is  to  pray  in  faith  ?  Did  you 
ever  pray  in  this  way  ?  Have  you  ever  prayed  till  your  mind 
was  assured  the  blessing  would  come — ^till  you  felt  that  rest 
in  Gt)d,  that  conhdence,  as  perfect  as  if  you  saw  God  come 
down  fi'om  heaven  to  give  it  to  you  ?  K  not,  you  ought  to 
examine  your  foundation.  How  can  you  live  witJtiout  praying 
in  faith  at  all  ?  How  do  you  live  in  view  of  your  childr^. 
while  you  have  no  assurance  whatever  that  they  will  be  ooir 

4* 


M  THE   PBATBR    OP    FAITH. 

rerted  ?  One  would  think  you  would  go  deranged-  I  knew 
a  father  at  the  West ;  he  was  a  good  man,  but  he  had  erro- 
neous views  respecting  the  prayer  of  faith  ;  and  his  whole 
family  of  children  were  grown  up  and  not  one  of  them  conr 
verted.  At  length  his  son  sickened  and  seemed  about  to  die. 
The  father  prayed,  but  the  son  grew  worse  and  seemed  sink- 
ing into  the  grave  without  hope.  The  father  prayed  till  hia 
anguish  was  unutterable.  He  went  at  last  and  prayed — (there 
seemed  no  prospect  of  his  son's  life) — ^but  he  poured  out  his 
soul  as  if  he  would  not  be  denied,  till  at  length  he  got  an  as- 
surance that  his  son  would  not  only  live,  but  be  converted ; 
and  not  only  this  one,  but  his  whole  family,  would  be  converted 
to  God.  He  came  into  the  house  and  told  his  family  his  son 
would  not  die.  They  were  astonished  at  him.  "  I  tell  you,** 
says  he,  "  he  won't  die.  And  no  child  of  mine  will  ever  die 
in  his  sins."  That  man's  children  were  all  converted  years 
ago. 

What  do  you  think  of  that?  Was  that  fanaticism ?  If  you 
believe  so,  it  is  because  you  know  nothing  about  the  matter. 
Do  you  pray  so  ?  Do  you  Hve  in  such  a  manner  that  you  can 
offer  such  prayer  for  your  children  ?  I  know  that  the  chil- 
dren of  professors  may  sometimes  be  converted  in  answer  to 
the  prayers  of  somebody  •  else.  But  ought  you  to  hve  so? 
Dare  you  trust  to  the  prayers  of  others  when  God  calls  you 
to  sustain  this  most  important  relation  to  your  children  ? 

Finally — See  what  combined  effort  is  made  to  dispose  of 
the  Bible.  The  wicked  are  for  throvnng  away  the  threaten- 
ings  of  the  Bible,  and  the  church  the  promises.  And  what  is 
there  left  ?  Between  them,  they  leave  the  Bible  a  blank.  I 
say  it  in  love  :  What  are  our  Bibles  good  for  if  we  do  not  lay 
hold  on  their  precious  promises,  and  use  them  as  the  ground 
of  our  faith  when  we  pray  for  the  blessing  of  God  ?  You  had 
better  send  your  Bibles  to  the  heathen,  where  they  wiU  do 
some  good,  if  you  are  not  going  to  beUeve  and  use  them.  I 
have  no  evidence  that  there  is  much  of  this  prayer  now  in  this 
church  or  in  this  city.  And  what  will  become  of  it  ?  What 
will  become  of  your  children  ?  your  neighbors  ?  the  wicked  ? 


LECTURE    VI. 


SPIRIT   OF   PBATEB. 

Tbxt.— Likewise  the  Spirit  also  helpeth  our  Inflrmltlee  :  for  v»  a  know  not  what  w« 
tfiould  pray  for  ae  we  ought ;  but  the  Spirit  Itself  maketh  Interceesloa  for  at  with 
froanlnKS  which  cannot  be  uttered.  And  he  that  searcheth  the  hearts  knoweth  what 
h  the  mmd  of  the  Spirit,  because  he  maketh  Interceeslon  for  the  saintB,  according  to 
Hie  will  of  God.— Romans  tUI.  96,  27. 

My  last  lecture  but  one  was  on  the  subject  of  Effectual 
Prayer  ;  in  which  I  observed  that  one  of  the  most  important 
attributes  of  effectual  or  prevailing  prayer  is  Faith.  This  was 
so  extensive  a  subject  that  I  reserved  it  for  a  separate  discus- 
sion. And  accordingly,  I  lectured  last  Friday  evening  on  the 
subject  of  Faith  in  Prayer,  or,  as  it  is  termed,  the  Prayer  of 
Faith.  It  was  my  intention  to  discuss  the  subject  in  a  single 
lecture.  But  as  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  condensing  so 
much  on  some  points,  it  occurred  to  me,  and  was  mentioned 
by  others,  that  there  might  be  some  questions  which  people 
wo^ild  ask,  that  ought  to  be  answered  more  fully,  especiaJly 
as  the  subject  is  one  on  which  there  is  so  much  dsikness. 
One  grand  design  in  preaching  is  to  exhibit  the  truth  in  such 
a  way  as  to  answer  the  questions  which  would  naturally  arise 
in  the  minds  of  those  who  read  the  Bible  with  attention,  and 
who  want  to  know  what  it  means,  so  that  they  can  put  it  in 
practice.     In  explaining  the  text,  I  propose  to  show, 

L  What  Spirit  is  here  spoken  o^  "  The  Spirit  also  helpeth 
our  infirmities." 

n.  What  that  Spirit  does  for  us. 

TTT.  Why  he  does  what  the  text  declares  him  to  do. 

rV.  How  he  accomplishes  ii 

V.  The  degree  in  which  he  influences  the  imnds  of  those 
who  are  under  his  influence. 

VL  How  his  influences  are  to  be  distinguished  from  the 
Influences  of  evil  spiiits,  or  from  the  suggestions  of  our  awn 
minds. 

Vn.  How  we  are  to  obtain  this  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirii 

VHL  Who  have  a  right  to  expect  to  enjoy  his  influences  in 
ttiis  matter — or  for  whom  the  Spirit  does  the  things  si^okeD 
of  in  the  text 

L  What  Spirit  is  it  that  is  spoken  of  in  the  text? 

(83' 


B4  SPI&IT    OF   PB1.YEB. 

Some  have  supposed  that  the  Spirit  spoken  of  in  the  texl 
means  our  own  spirit — our  own  mind.  But  a  httle  attention 
to  the  text  will  show  plainly  that  this  is  not  the  meaning. 
"  The  Spirit  helpeth  our  infirmities"  would  then  read,  "  Our 
own  spirit  helpeth  the  infirmities  of  our  own  spirit," — and 
"Our  own  spirit  likewise  maketh  intercession  for  our  own 
spirit."  You  see  you  can  make  no  sense  of  it  on  that  suppo- 
sition. It  is  evident  from  the  manner  in  which  the  text  is 
introduced,  that  the  Spirit  referred  to  is  the  Holy  Ghost, 
"  For  if  ye  Uve  after  the  flesh,  ye  shall  die  :  but  if  ye  through 
the  Spirit  do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye  shall  Hva  For 
as  many  as  ai^e  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  are  the  sons  of 
God.  For  ye  have  not  received  the  spirit  of  bondage  again 
to  fear  ;  but  ye  have  received  the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby 
we  cry,  Abba,  Father.  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with 
our  spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God."  And  the  text  ifi 
plainly  speaking  of  the  same  Spirit 

n.  What  the  Spirit  does. 

Answer — He  intercedes  for  the  saints.  "  He  maketh  inter- 
cession for  us,"  and  "  helpeth  our  infirmities,"  when  "  we 
know  not  what  to  pray  for  as  we  ought."  He  helps  Chris- 
tians to  pray  according  to  the  will  of  God,  or  for  the  things 
that  God  desires  them  to  pray  for. 

TTT.  Why  is  the  Holy  Spirit  thus  employed  ? 

Because  of  our  ignorance.  Because  we  know  not  what  we 
should  pray  for  as  we  ought.  We  are  so  ignorant  both  of 
the  will  of  God,  revealed  in  the  Bible,  and  of  his  unreveaJed 
will,  as  we  ought  to  learn  it  from  his  providence.  Mankind 
are  vastly  ignorant  both  of  the  promises  and  prophecies  of 
the  Bible,  and  blind  to  the  providence  of  God.  And  they 
are  still  more  in  the  dark  about  those  points  of  which  God 
has  said  nothing  but  by  the  leadings  of  his  Spirit  You  re- 
collect that  I  named  these  four  sources  of  evidence  on  which 
to  ground  faith  in  prayer — ^promises,  prophecies,  providences, 
and  the  Holy  Spirit.  When  all  other  means  fall  of  leading 
us  to  the  knowledge  of  what  we  ought  to  pray  for,  the  Spirit 
does  it 

IV.  How  does  he  make  intercession  for  the  saints?  In 
what  mode  does  he  operate,  so  as  to  help  our  infirmities  ? 

Not  by  superseding  the  use  of  our  faculties.  It  is  not  by 
praying  for  us,  while  we  do  nothing.  He  prays  for  us,  by  ex- 
citing our  own^aculties.  Not  that  he  immediately  suggests  to 
Dfl  words,  or  guides  our  languaga  But  he  enlightens  our 
minds,  and  makes  the  truth  take  hold  of  our  souls.  He  leads 
Ofl  to  consider  the  state  of  the  church,  and  the  condition  of 


SPIRIT    OF    PRATER.  M 

sinners  around  us.  Phe  manner  in  which  he  brings  the  truth 
before  the  inind,  and  keeps  it  there  till  it  produces  its  effect, 
we  cannot  tt^ll.  But  we  can  know  as  much  as  tins — that  he 
leads  us  to  a  deep  consideration  of  the  state  of  tilings  ;  and 
tlie  result  of  this,  the  natural  and  philosophical  result,  is, 
deep  feeling.  When  the  Spirit  brings  the  truth  up  before  a 
maii's  mincl,  there  is  only  one  way  in  which  he  can  keep  from 
deep  feeling.  That  is,  by  turning  away  his  thoughts,  and 
leading  his  mind  to  think  of  other  things.  Sinners,  when 
the  Spirit  of  God  brings  the  truth  before  them,  must  feeL 
They  feel  wrong,  as  long  as  they  remain  impenitent.  So,  if 
a  man  is  a  Christian,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  biings  a  subject 
into  warm  contact  with  his  heai*t,  it  is  just  as  impossible  he 
should  not  feel,  as  it  is  that  your  hand  should  not  feel  if  you 
put  it  into  the  fire.  If  the  Spirit  of  God  leads  him  to  dwell 
on  things  calculated  to  excite  warm  and  overpowering  feel- 
ings, and  he  is  not  excited  by  them,  it  proves  that  he  has  no 
love  for  souls,  notliing  of  the  Spirit  of  Chiist,  and  knows 
nothhig  about  Christian  experience. 

2.  The  Spirit  makes  the  Christian  feel  the  value  of  souls, 
and  the  guilt  and  danger  of  sinners  in  their  present  condition. 
It  is  amazing  how  dai*k  and  stupid  Chi'istians  often  are  about 
this.  Even  Christian  parents  let  their  children  go  right 
down  to  heh  before  their  eyes,  and  scarcely  seem  to  exercise 
a  single  feeling,  or  put  forth  an  effort  to  save  them.  And 
why '?  Because  they  are  so  blind  to  what  hell  is,  so  unbehev- 
ing  about  the  Bible,  so  ignorant  of  the  precious  promise* 
which  God  has  made  to  faithful  parents.  They  grieve  th^ 
Spirit  of  God  away,  and  it  is  in  vain  to  try  to  make  them 
pray  for  their  children,  while  the  Spirit  of  God  is  away  from 
them. 

3.  He  leads  Christians  to  understand  and  apply  the  prom- 
ises of  Scriptiu-e.  It  is  wonderful  that  in  no  age  have  Chris- 
tians been  able  fully  to  apply  the  promises  of  Scripture  to 
the  events  of  life,  as  they  go  along.  This  is  not  because  the 
promises  themselves  are  obscure.  The  promises  themselves 
are  plain  enough.  But  there  has  always  been  a  wonderful 
disposition  to  overlook  the  Scriptui'es,  as  a  source  of  light 
respecting  the  passing  events  of  life.  How  astonished  the 
apustles  were  at  Christ's  apphcation  of  so  many  prophecies 
to  himself  I  They  seemed  to  be  continually  ready  to  exclaim, 
"  Astonishing  I  Can  it  be  so  ?  We  never  undei-stood  it  b^ 
fore."  AV^ho,  that  has  witnessed  the  manner  in  which  the 
apostles,  influenced  and  insph'ed  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  applied 

of  the  Old  Testament  to  gos|)el  times,  b-ib  not  been 


SPIEIT    OF    PBAYEK. 

amazed  at  the  richness  of  meaning  which  they  found  in  the 
Scriptures  ?  So  it  has  been  with  many  a  Christian  ;  while 
deeply  engaged  in  prayer,  he  has  seen  that  passages  of 
Scripture  are  approj^riate  which  he  neTer  thought  of  before, 
as  having  any  such  apphcation. 

I  once  knew  an  individual  who  was  in  great  spiritual  dark- 
ness. He  had  retired  for  prayer,  resolved  that  he  would  not 
desist  till  he  had  found  the  Lord.  He  kneeled  down  and 
tried  to  pray.  All  was  dark,  and  he  could  not  pray.  He 
rose  from  his  knees,  and  stood  a  while,  but  he  could  not  give 
it  up,  for  he  had  promised  that  he  would  not  let  the  sun  go 
dowa  before  he  had  given  himself  to  God.  He  knelt  again, 
but  it  was  all  dark,  and  his  heart  was  hard  as  before.  He 
was  nearly  in  despair,  and  said  in  agony,  "  I  have  grieved 
the  Spirit  of  Grod  away,  and  there  is  no  promise  for  me.  I 
am  shut  out  fi-om  the  presence  of  God"  But  his  resolution 
was  formed  not  to  give  over,  and  again  he  knelt  down.  He 
had  said  but  a  few  words,  when  this  passage  came  into  hia 
mind  as  fresh  as  if  he  had  just  read  it  ;  it  seemed  as  if  he 
had  just  been  reading  the  words,  "  Ye  shall  seek  me,  and  find 
me,  when  ye  shall  search  for  me  with  all  your  heart."  Jer. 
-xxix.  13.  Though  this  promise  was  in  the  Old  Testament, 
and  was  addressed  to  the  Jews,  it  was  stiU  as  apphcable  to 
bim  as  to  them.  And  it  broke  his  heart,  like  the  hammer  of 
the  Lord,  in  a  moment.  He  prayed,  and  rose  up,  happy  in 
God.  Thus  it  often  happens  when  professors  of  religion  are 
praying  for  their  children.  Sometimes  they  pray,  and  are  in 
darkness  and  doubt,  feehng  as  if  there  was  no  foundation  for 
faith,  and  no  special  promises  for  the  children  of  behevers. 
But  while  they  are  pleading,  God  has  shown  them  the  full 
meaning  of  some  promise,  and  their  soul  has  rested  on  it  as 
on  the  mighty  arm  of  God.  I  once  heard  of  a  widow  who 
was  greatly  exercised  about  her  children,  till  this  passage 
was  brought  powerfully  to  her  mind  :  "  Leave  thy  fatherless 
children  with  me,  I  will  preserve  them  ahve."  She  saw  it 
had  an  extended  meaning,  and  she  was  enabled  to  lay  hold 
on  it,  as  it  were,  with  her  hands  ;  and  then  she  prev^ed  in 
prayer,  and  her  children  were  converted.  The  Holy  Spirit 
was  sent  into  the  world  by  the  Saviour,  to  guide  his  people  and 
instruct  them,  and  bring  things  to  their  remembrance,  as  well 
as  to  convince  the  world  of  sin. 

4.  The  Spirit  leads  Christians  to  desire  and  pray  for  things 
of  which  nothing  is  specifically  said  in  the  word  of  God. 
Take  the  case  of  an  individual  That  God  is  willing  to  saY« 
is  a  general  truth.     So  it  is  a  general  truth  that  he  is  willin|3f 


gPIBlT   OF    PRATKR.  %1 

to  answer  prayer.  But  how  shall  I  know  the  will  of  God 
respecting  that  individual,  whether  I  can  pray  in  faith  accord* 
ing  to  tlie  will  of  God  for  the  conversion  and  salvation  of 
that  individual,  or  not  ?  Here  the  agency  of  the  Spirit  comes 
in,  to  lead  the  minds  of  God's  people  to  pray  for  those  in- 
dividuals, and  at  those  times,  when  God  is  prepared  to  bless 
them.  When  we  know  not  what  to  pray  for,  the  Holy  Spirit 
leads  the  mind  to  dwell  on  some  object,  to  consider  its  situa- 
tion, to  realize  its  value,  and  to  feel  for  it,  and  pray,  and 
travail  in  birth,  till  the  object  is  attained.  This  sort  of  expe- 
rience I  know  is  less  common  in  cities  than  it  is  in  some  parts 
of  the  country,  because  of  the  infinite  number  of  things  to 
divert  the  attention  and  grieve  the  Spirit  in  cities.  I  have 
had  much  opportunity  to  know  how  it  has  been  iu  some 
sections.  I  was  acqmdnted  with  an  individual  who  used  to 
keep  a  list  of  persons  that  he  was  specially  concerned  for ; 
and  I  have  had  the  opportunity  to  know  a  multitude  of  per- 
sons for  whom  he  became  thus  interested,  who  were  imme- 
diately converted.  I  have  seen  him  pray  for  persons  on  his 
list,  when  he  was  hterally  in  an  agony  for  them  ;  and  have 
sometimes  known  him  call  on  some  other  person  to  help  him 
pray  for  such  a  one.  I  have  known  his  mind  to  fasten  on  an 
mdividual  of  hardened,  abandoned  character,  and  who  could 
not  be  reached  in  any  ordinary  way.  In  a  town  in  the  north 
part  of  this  State,  where  there  was  a  revival,  tliere  was  a  cer- 
tain individual  who  was  a  most  violent  and  outrageous  op- 
poser.  He  kept  a  tavern,  and  used  to  delight  in  swearing  at 
a  desperate  rate,  whenever  there  were  Christians  within  hear- 
ing, on  purpose  to  hurt  their  feehngs.  He  was  so  bad,  that 
one  man  said  he  believed  he  should  have  to  sell  his  place,  or 
give  it  away,  and  move  out  of  town,  for  he  could  not  hve  near 
a  man  that  swore  so.  This  good  man,  that  I  was  speaking 
of,  was  passing  through  the  town,  and  heard  of  the  cas^ 
and  was  very  much  grieved  and  distressed  for  the  individual 
He  took  him  on  his  praying  list  The  case  weighed  on  his 
mind,  when  he  was  asleep  and  when  he  was  awake.  He 
kept  thinking  about  him,  and  praying  for  him  for  daya. 
And  the  fii'st  we  knew  of  it,  this  ungodly  maji  came  into  a 
meeting,  and  got  up  and  confessed  his  sins,  and  poured  out 
his  souL  His  bar-room  immediately  became  the  place  where 
they  held  prayer  meetings.  In  this  manner  the  Spirit  of  God 
leads  individual  Christians  to  pray  for  things  which  they  wruld 
not  pray  for,  unless  they  were  led  by  the  Spirit.  And  thus 
they  pray  for  things  according  to  the  wiQ  of  God. 
By  some,  this  may  be  said  to  be  a  revelption  from  God.     I 


88  SPIBIT    OF   PBATBR. 

do  not  doubt  that  great  evil  has  been  done  by  saying  thaf 
this  kind  of  influence  amounts  to  a  new  revelation.  And 
many  people  vrill  be  afraid  of  it  if  they  hear  it  called  a  nev7 
revelation,  so  that  they  vrill  not  stop  to  inquire  what  it  means, 
or  whether  the  Scriptiu'es  teach  it  or  not  They  suppose  ii 
to  l)e  a  complete  answer  to  the  idea.  But  the  plain  truth  of 
the  matter  is,  that  the  Spirit  leads  a  man  to  pray.  And  if 
God  leads  a  man  to  pray  for  an  individual,  the  inference  from 
the  Bible  is,  that  God  designs  to  save  that  individual  If  we 
find  by  comparing  our  state  of  mind  with  the  Bible,  that  we 
are  led  by  the  Spirit  to  pray  for  an  individual,  we  have  good 
evidence  to  beheve  that  God  is  prepared  to  bless  him. 

6.  By  giving  to  Christians  a  spiritual  discernment  respect- 
ing the  movements  and  developments  of  Providence.  De- 
voted, praying  Clmstians  often  see  these  things  so  clearly, 
and  look  so  far  ahead,  as  greatly  to  stumble  others.  They 
sometunes  almost  seem  to  prophesy.  No  doubt  persons  may 
be  deluded,  and  sometimes  are  so,  by  leaning  to  their  ovTi 
understanding  when  they  think  they  are  led  by  the  Spirit 
But  there  is  no  doubt  that  a  Christian  may  be  made  to  see 
and  to  discern  clearly  the  signs  of  the  times,  so  as  to  under- 
stand, by  pro^idence,  what  to  expect,  and  thus  to  pray  for  it 
in  faith.  Thus  they  are  often  led  to  expect  a  revival,  and  to 
pray  for  it  in  faith,  when  nobody  else  can  see  the  least  signs  of  it 

There  was  a  woman  in  New  Jersey,  in  a  place  where  there 
had  been  a  revival.  She  was  very  positive  there  was  going  to 
be  another.  She  insisted  upon  it  that  they  had  had  the  for 
mer  rain,  and  were  now  going  to  have  the  latter  rain.  She 
wanted  to  have  conference  meetings  appointed.  But  the 
minister  and  elders  saw  nothing  to  encourage  it,  and  would 
do  nothing.  She  saw  they  were  blind,  and  so  she  went  for- 
ward and  got  a  carpenter  to  make  seats  for  her,  for  she  said 
she  would  have  meetings  in  her  own  house.  There  was  cer* 
tainly  going  to  be  a  revival.  She  had  scarcely  opened  her 
doors  for  meetings,  before  the  Spirit  of  God  came  down  in 
great  power.  And  these  sleepy  church  members  found  them- 
selves smTounded  all  at  once  with  convicted  sinners,  And 
they  could  only  say,  "  Surely  the  Lord  was  in  this  place,  and 
we  knew  it  not"  The  reason  why  such  persons  understand 
the  indication  of  God's  wiU  is  not  because  of  the  superior 
wisdom  that  is  in  thenx,  but  because  the  Spirit  of  God 
leatla  them  to  see  the  signs  of  the  times.  And  this,  not 
by  revelation;  but  they  are  led  to  see  that  converging  of  pro 
vidences  to  a  single  point,  which  produces  in  them  a  confident 
expectation  of  a  certain  result 


gpmrr  of  vrateb.  89 

V.  In  what  degree  are  we  to  expect  the  Spirit  of  Gkxi  to 
affect  the  minds  of  believere  ?  The  text  says,  "  The  Spirit 
maketh  intercession  with  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered-** 
The  meaning  of  this  I  understand  to  be,  that  the  Spirit  ex- 
cites desires  too  great  to  be  uttered  except  by  groans.  Some- 
thing that  language  cannot  utter — making  the  soul  too  full  to 
utter  its  feelings  by  words,  where  the  person  can  only  groan 
them  oat  to  God,  who  understands  the  language  of  the  heart 

VL  How  are  we  to  know  whether  it  is  the  Spirit  of  God 
that  influences  our  minds  or  not  ? 

1.  Not  by  feeling  that  some  external  influence  or  agency  is 
applied  to  us.  We  are  not  to  expect  to  feel  our  minds  in  di- 
rect physical  contact  with  God  If  such  a  thing  can  be,  we 
know  of  no  way  in  which  it  can  be  made  sensible.  We  know 
that  we  exercise  our  minds  freely,  and  that  our  thoughts  are 
exercised  on  something  that  excites  our  feelings.  But  we 
are  not  to  expect  a  nui-acle  to  be  wrought,  as  if  we  were  led 
by  the  hand,  sensibly,  or  like  something  whispered  in  the  ear, 
or  any  miraculous  manifestation  of  the  will  of  God.  People 
often  grieve  the  Spirit  away,  because  they  do  not  harbor  him 
and  cherish  his  influences.  Sinners  often  do  this  ignorantly. 
They  suppose  that  if  they  were  under  conviction  by  the  Spirit, 
they  should  have  such  and  such  mysterious  feelings,  a  shock 
would  come  upon  them,  which  they  could  not  mistake.  Many 
Christians  are  so  ignorant  of  the  Spirit's  iofluences,  and  have 
thought  so  httle  about  having  his  assistance  in  prayer,  that 
when  they  have  them  they  do  not  know  it,  and  so  do  not 
cherish,  and  yield  to  them,  and  preserve  them.  We  are  con- 
scious of  nothing  in  the  case,  only  the  movement  of  our  own 
minds.  There  is  nothing  else  that  can  be  felt.  We  are  mere- 
ly aware  that  our  thoughts  are  intensely  employed  on  a  cer- 
tain  subject.  Christians  are  often  unnecessarily  misled  and 
distressed  on  this  point,  for  fear  they  have  not  the  Spirit  of 
God  They  feel  intensely,  but  they  know  not  what  makes 
them  feel.  They  are  disti-essed  about  sinners  ;  but  why 
should  they  not  be  distressed,  when  tliey  think  of  their  condi- 
tion ?  They  keep  thinking  about  them  gdl  the  time,  and  why 
shouldn't  they  be  distressed?  Now,  the  truth  is,  that  the 
very  fact  that  you  are  thinking  upon  them  is  evidence  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  leading  you.  Do  you  not  know  that  the 
greater  pai-t  of  the  time  these  things  do  not  afl'ect  you  so  ? 
The  greater  part  of  the  time  you  do  not  think  much  about 
the  case  of  sinners.  You  know  that  their  salvation  is  always 
equally  important  But  at  other  times,  even  when  you  are 
q^uite  at  leisure,  your  mind  is  entirely  dark,  and  vacant  of  any 


••  IPISrr   OF   PSAYBB. 

feeling  for  them.  But  now,  although  you  may  be  busy  about 
other  things,  you  think,  you  pray,  and  feel  intensely  for 
them,  even  while  you  are  about  business  that  at  other  times 
would  occupy  all  your  thoughts.  Now,  almost  every  thought 
you  have  is,  " God  have  mercy  on  them."  Why  is  this?  Why, 
their  case  is  placed  in  a  strong  light  before  your  mind.  Do 
Tou  ask  what  it  is  that  leads  your  mind  to  exercise  benevo- 
lence for  sinners,  and  to  agonize  iu  prayer  for  them  ?  What 
©an  it  be  but  the  Spirit  of  God?  There  are* no  devils  that 
would  lead  you  so.  If  your  feelings  are  truly  benevolent,  you 
are  to  consider  it  as  the  Holy  Spirit  leading  you  to  pray  for 
things  according  to  the  will  of  Gkni 

2.  Try  the  spirits  by  the  Bibla  People  are  sometimes 
led  away  by  slrange  fantasies  and  crazy  impulses.  If  you 
compare  them  faithfully  with  the  Bible,  you  never  need  be 
led  astray.  You  can  always  know  whether  your  feelings  are 
produced  by  the  Spirit's  influences,  by  comparing  your  de- 
sires with  tiie  spirit  and  temper  of  rehgion  as  described  in 
the  Bible.  The  Bible  commands  you  to  try  the  spirits. 
**  Beloved,  beheve  not  every  spirit,  but  try  the  spirits,  whether 
they  be  of  God."  Observe  not  only  your  feelings  in  regard  to 
your  feUow-men,  but  also,  and  more  especially,  the  teachings 
of  the  Spirit  within  you  respecting  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
"  Hereby  know  ye  the  Spirit  of  God.  Every  spirit  that  con- 
fesseth  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh  is  of  God.  And 
every  spirit  that  confesseth  not  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in 
the  flesh  is  not  of  God  ;  and  this  is  that  spirit  of  Antichrist 
whereof  ye  have  heard  that  it  shaJl  come ;  and  even  now 
already  it  is  in  the  world." 

Vn.  How  shall  we  get  this  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God  ? 

1.  It  must  be  sought  by  fervent,  beheving  prayer.  Christ 
Bays,  "  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to 
your  children,  how  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Father 
give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him  I"  Does  any  one 
say,  I  have  prayed  for  him,  and  he  does  not  come  ?  It  is  be- 
cause you  do  not  pray  aright.  "  Ye  ask  and  receive  not,  be- 
cause ye  ask  amiss,  that  ye  may  consume  it  upon  your  lusts." 
You  do  not  pray  from  right  motivea  A  professor  of  re- 
ligion, and  a  principal  member  in  a  church,  once  asked  a  min- 
feter  what  he  thought  of  his  case  ;  he  had  been  praying  week 
after  week  for  the  Spirit,  and  had  not  received  him.  The 
minister  asked  him  what  his  motive  was  in  praying.  He  said 
he  wanted  to  be  happy.  He  knew  those  who  had  the  Spirit 
were  happy,  and  he  wanted  to  enjoy  his  mind  as  they  did. 
Why,  the  devil  himself  might  pray  sa      That  is  mere  selfish 


■PnUT   07   PBATSR.  91 

ness-  The  man  turned  away  in  anger.  He  saw  that  he  had 
never  known  what  it  was  to  pray.  He  was  convinced  he  was 
a  hypocrite,  and  that  his  prayers  were  all  selfish,  dictated  only 
by  a  desire  for  his  own  happiness.  David  prayed  that  Grod 
would  uphold  him  by  his  free  Spirit,  that  he  might  teach 
transgressors  and  turn  sinners  to  God.  A  Christian  should 
pray  for  the  Spirit  that  he  may  be  the  more  useful  and 
glorify  God  more  ;  not  that  he  himself  may  be  more  happy. 
This  man  saw  clearly  where  he  had  been  in  eiTor,  and  he 
was  converted-  Perhaps  many  here  have  been  just  so. 
You  ought  to  examine  and  see  if  all  your  prayers  are  not 
selfish. 

2.  Use  the  means  adapted  to  stir  up  your  minds  on  the 
subject,  and  to  keep  your  attention  fixed  there.  If  a  man 
prays  for  the  Spirit,  and  then  diverts  his  mind  to  other  ob- 
jects ;  uses  no  other  means,  but  goes  right  away  to  worldly 
objects  ;  he  tempts  God,  he  swings  loose  from  his  object,  and 
it  would  be  a  miracle  if  he  should  get  what  he  prays  for. 
How  is  a  sinner  to  get  conviction  ?  Why,  by  thinking  of  hi« 
sins.  That  is  the  way  for  a  Christian  to  obtaiQ  deep  feeling, 
by  thinking  on  the  object  God  is  not  going  to  pour  these 
things  on  you  without  any  effort  of  your  own.  You  must 
cherish  the  shghtest  impressions.  Take  the  Bible,  and  go 
over  the  passages  that  show  the  condition  and  prospects  of 
the  world.  Look  at  the  world,  look  at  your  children,  and 
your  neighbors,  and  see  their  condition  while  they  remain  in 
sin,  and  persevere  in  prayer  and  effort  till  you  obtain  the 
blessing  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  dwell  in  you.  Thia  was  the 
way,  doubtless,  that  Dr.  Watts  came  to  have  the  feelings  which 
he  has  described  in  the  second  Hymn  of  the  second  Book, 
▼hieJi  you  would  do  well  to  read  after  you  go  home. 


Mj  thoughts  on  awful  subjects  roll. 

Damnation  and  the  dead  : 
What  horrors  seize  the  gnfil^y  "O^ 

Upon  a  dying  bed. 

Lingering  about  these  mortal  shoroi^ 

She  makes  a  long  delay, 
Till,  like  a  flood,  with  rapid  force 

Death  sweeps  the  wretch  away. 

Then,  swift  and  dreadful,  she  desoendi 

Down  to  the  fiery  coast, 
Amongst  abominable  fiends, 

Herself  a  frighted  ghost. 


M  ftPIBTT   OF   PRATIES. 

There  endless  crowds  of  sinners  B©, 

And  darkness  makes  their  chains ; 
Tortured  with  keen  despair  they  cry, 

Yet  wait  for  fiercer  pains. 

Not  all  their  anguish  and  their  blood 

For  their  past  guilt  atones, 
Nor  the  compassion  of  a  God 

Shall  hearken  to  their  groans. 

Amazing  grace,  that  kept  my  breath. 

Nor  bid  my  soul  remove, 
Till  I  had  learned  my  Saviour's  death. 

And  well  insured  his  love. 

Look,  as  it  were,  through  a  telescope  that  will  bring  it  up 
near  to  you  ;  look  into  hell,  and  hear  them  groan ;  then  tnm 
the  glass  upwards  and  look  at  heaven,  and  see  the  saints 
there,  in  their  white  robes,  with  their  harps  in  their  hands, 
and  hear  them  sing  the  song  of  redeeming  love  ;  and  ask 
yourself — Is  it  possible,  that  I  should  prevail  with  God  to 
elevate  the  sinner  there  ?  Do  this,  and  if  you  are  not  a  wicked 
man,  and  a  stranger  to  God,  you  will  soon  have  as  much  of 
the  spirit  of  prayer  as  your  body  can  sustain. 

3.  You  must  watch  imto  prayer.  You  must  keep  a  look 
out,  and  see  if  God  grants  the  blessing  when  you  ask  him. 
People  sometimes  pray,  and  never  look  to  see  if  the  prayer  ia 
wanted.  Be  careful  also,  not  to  grieve  the  Spirit  of  God. 
Confess  and  forsake  your  sins.  God  will  never  lead  you  aa 
one  of  his  hidden  ones,  and  let  you  into  his  secrets,  unless 
you  confess  and  forsake  your  sins.  Not  be  always  confessing 
and  never  forsake,  but  confess  and  forsake  too.  Make  r&- 
dress  wherever  you  have  committed  an  injury.  You  cannot 
expect  to  get  the  spirit  of  prayer  first,  and  then  repeni  You 
cannot  fight  it  through  so.  Professors  of  rehgion,  who  are 
proud  and  imyielding,  and  justify  themselves,  never  will  force 
God  to  dwell  with  them. 

4.  Aim  to  obey  perfectly  the  written  law.  In  other  words, 
have  no  fellowship  with  sin.  Aim  at  being  entirely  above  the 
world  ;  "  Be  ye  perfect  even  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is  per- 
fect." If  you  sin  at  all,  let  it  be  your  daily  griet  The  man 
who  does  not  aim  at  this,  means  to  live  in  sin.  Such  a  man 
need  not  expect  God's  blessing,  for  he  is  not  sincere  in  desir- 
ingto  keep  all  his  commandments. 

Yin.  For  whom  does  the  Spiiit  intercede  T 

Anewer"— He  maketh   intercession  for  the  sainta,   for  aO 


SPIRIT    OF    PAATXR.  f« 

saints,  for  any  who  are  saints.  "Likewise  the  Spirit  also 
helpeth  oiir  infiiinities:  for  we  know  not  what  we  should  pray 
for  as  we  ought ,  but  the  Spirit  itself  maketh  iiiterct^ssion  for 
OS  with  gioaniiigs  which  cannot  be  uttered  And  he  that 
searcheth  the  hciirts  knoweth  what  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit 
because  he  maketh  intercession  for  the  saints  according  to 
the  wUl  of  God."— RouL  viii  26,  27. 

BEMARKS. 

1.  AVhy  do  you  suppose  it  is,  that  so  Uttle  sti-ess  is  laid  on 
the  influences  of  the  Spirit  in  prayer,  when  so  much  is  said 
aV)out  his  influences  in  conversion  ?  Many  people  are  amaz- 
ingly afi-aid  the  Spirit's  influences  will  be  left  out  They  lay 
great  sti-ess  on  the  Spirit's  influences  in  converting  sinners. 
6ut  how  little  is  said,  how  httle  is  printed,  about  his  influence 
in  prayer !  How  httle  complaining  that  people  do  not  make 
enough  of  the  Spii'it's  influences  in  leading  Christians  to  pray 
according  to  the  will  of  God !  Let  it  never  be  forgotten,  that 
no  Christian  ever  prays  aright,  unless  led  by  the  Spirit  He 
has  natural  power  to  pray,  and  so  far  as  the  will  of  God  is 
revealed,  is  able  to  do  it ;  but  he  never  does,  unless  the  Spirit 
of  God  influences  him.  Just  as  sinners  are  able  to  repent, 
but  never  do,  unless  influenced  by  the  Spirit 

2.  This  subject  lays  open  the  foundation  of  the  difficulty  felt 
bv  many  persons  on  the  subject  of  the  Prayer  of  Faith.  They 
ODJect  to  the  idea  that  faith  in  prayer  is  a  behef  that  we  shall 
receive  the  very  things  for  which  we  ask;  and  insist  that  there 
can  be  no  foimdation  or  evidence  upon  wliich  to  rest  such  a 
behef.  Li  a  sermon  published  a  few  years  since,  upon  this 
subject,  the  writer  brings  forward  this  difficulty,  and  presents 
it  in  its  full  strength.  I  have,  says  he,  no  evidence  that  the 
thing  prayed  for  will  be  granted,  until  I  have  prayed  in  faith  ; 
because,  praying  ui  faith  is  the  condition  upon  which  it  is  pro- 
mised. And  of  course  I  cannot  claim  the  promise,  until  I 
have  fulfilled  the  condition.  Now,  if  the  condition  is,  that  I 
am  to  beheve  I  shall  receive  the  very  blessing  for  which  I  ask, 
it  is  evident  that  the  promise  is  given  upon  the  performance 
of  an  imposinhle  condition,  and  is  of  course  a  mere  nulhty. 
The  promise  would  amount  to  just  this:  You  shall  have  what- 
soever you  ask,  upon  the  condition  that  you  first  believe  that 
you  shall  receive  it  Inow,  I  must  fulfil  the  condition  before 
I  can  claim  the  promisa  But  I  can  have  no  evidence  that  I 
shall  receive  it  imtil  I  have  beheved  that  I  shall  receive  it 
This  reduces  me  to  the  necessity  of  believing  that  I  shall  re- 


04  BFISIT   OF    PBATKR. 

oeive  it  before  I  have  any  evidence  that  I  shall  receive  it — 

which  is  impossible. 

The  whole  force  of  this  objection  arises  out  of  the  fact,  that 
the  S^yirWs  influences  are  entirely  overlooked,  which  he  exerts 
in  leading  an  individual  to  the  exercise  of  faith.  It  has  been 
supposed  that  the  passage  in  Mark  xL  22  and  24,  with  other 
kindred  promises  on  the  subject  of  the  Prayer  of  Faith,  relate 
exclusively  to  miracles.  But  suppose  this  were  true.  I  would 
ask,  Whoi  were  the  apostles  to  beheve,  when  they  prayed  for 
a  miracle?  Were  they  to  beheve  that  the  precise  miracle 
would  be  performed  for  which  they  prayed  ?  It  is  evident  that 
they  wera  In  the  verses  just  alluded  to,  Christ  says,  "  For 
verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  whosoever  shall  say  imto  this 
mountain,  Be  thou  removed,  and  be  thou  cast  into  the  sea, 
and  shall  not  doubt  in  his  heart,  but  SHALL  BELIEVE 
THAT  THESE  THINGS  WHICH  HE  SAITH  SHALL 
COME  TO  PASS,  he  shall  have  whatsoever  he  saith.  There- 
fore I  say  unto  you,  what  things  soever  ye  desire,  when  ye 
rn-ay,  believe  that  ye  reoeivb  them,  and  ye  shall  have  them.** 
Here  it  is  evident,  that  the  thing  to  be  believed,  and  which 
they  were  not  to  doubt  in  their  heart,  was,  that  they  should 
have  the  very  blessing  for  which  they  prayed.  Now  the  ob- 
jection above  stated,  lies  in  all  its  force  against  this  kind  of 
faith,  when  praying  for  the  performance  of  a  miracle.  If  it 
be  bnpossible  to  believe  this  in  praying  for  any  other  blessing, 
it  was  equally  so  in  prajTUg  for  a  miracla  I  might  ask.  Could 
an  apostie  beheve  that  the  miracle  would  be  wrought,  before 
he  had  fulfilled  the  condition  ?  inasmuch  as  the  condition  was, 
that  he  should  beheve  that  he  should  receive  that  for  which 
he  prayed.  Either  the  promise  is  a  nuUity  and  a  deception, 
or  there  is  a  possibihty  of  performing  the  condition. 

Now,  as  I  have  said,  the  whole  difficulty  hes  in  the  fact  that 
the  Spirit's  influences  are  entirely  overlooked,  and  that  faith 
which  is  of  the  operation  of  God,  is  left  out  of  the  question-  If 
the  objection  is  good  against  praying  for  any  object,  it  is  as 
good  against  praying  in  faith  for  the  performance  of  a  miracle. 
The  fact  is,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  could  give  evidence,  on 
which  to  believe  that  any  particular  miracle  would  be  granted; 
could  lead  the  mind  to  a  tirm  reliance  upon  God,  and  trust 
that  the  blessing  sought  would  be  obtained  And  so  at  the 
present  day  he  can  give  the  same  assiu-ance,  in  praying  for 
any  blessing  that  we  need.  Neither  in  the  one  case  nor  the 
other,  are  the  influences  of  the  Sjnrit  miraculous.  Praying  is 
the  same  thing,  whether  you  pray  for  the  conversion  of  a  souL 
or  for  a  miracie.      Faith  is  th^  ttfou^  vtun^  io  li^  one  case  em 


SPUUl    or    PiLATXX  M 

m  the  other  ;  it  only  terminates  on  a  different  object ;  in  th« 
one  case  on  the  conversion  of  a  soul^  and  in  the  other  on  the 
performance  of  a  mii^acle.  Nor  is  faith  exercised  in  the  one 
more  than  in  the  other,  without  reference  to  a  promise  ;  and 
a  general  promise  may  with  the  same  propriety  be  apphed  to 
the  conversion  of  a  soul  as  to  the  pei-formance  of  a  miracla 
Ajid  it  is  equally  true  in  the  one  case  as  the  other,  that  no 
nan  ever  prays  in  faith  without  being  influenced  by  the  Spirit 
of  God.  And  if  the  Spirit  could  lead  the  mind  of  an  apostle 
to  exercise  faith  in  regard  to  a  miracle,  he  can  lead  the  mind 
of  another  Christian  to  exercise  faith  in  regard  to  receiving 
any  other  blessing,  by  a  reference  to  the  same  general 
promise. 

Should  any  one  ask,  "  When  are  we  under  an  obligation  U. 
believe  that  we  shall  receive  the  blessing  for  which  we  ask  ? ' 
I  answer  : 

(1.)  When  there  is  a  particular  promise,  specifying  the  par 
fcioular  blessing  :  as  where  we  pray  for  the  Holy  Spirit  This 
blessing  is  particularly  named  in  the  promise,  and  here  we 
have  evidence,  and  are  bound  to  beHeve,  whether  we  have  any 
Divine  influence  or  not ;  just  as  sinners  are  bound  to  repent 
whether  the  Spirit  strives  with  them  or  not.  Their  obhgation 
rests,  not  upon  the  Spirit's  influences,  but  upon  the  powers 
of  moral  agency  which  they  possess  ;  upon  their  abihty  to  do 
their  duty.  And  while  it  is  true  that  not  one  of  them  ever 
will  repent  without  the  influences  of  the  Spirit,  still  they  have 
power  to  do  so,  and  are  under  obligation  to  do  so,  whether 
the  Spirit  strives  with  them  or  not  So  with  the  Christian. 
He  is  bound  to  believe  where  he  has  evidence.  And  although 
he  never  does  believe,  even  where  he  has  an  express  promise, 
without  the  Spirit  of  God,  yet  his  obligation  to  do  so  rests 
apon  his  abihty,  and  not  upon  the  Divine  influence. 

(2.)  Where  God  makes  a  revelation  by  his  providence,  we 
fcre  bound  to  beheve  in  proportion  to  the  clearness  of  the  pro- 
vidential indication. 

(3.)  So  where  there  is  a  prophecy,  we  are  boimd  also  to 
beheve.  But  in  neither  of  these  oases  do  we^  in  fact^  beheve, 
without  the  Spirit  of  God- 
But  where  there  is  neither  promise,  providence,  nor  p(ro- 
phecy,  on  which  to  repose  our  faith,  we  are  under  no  obliga- 
tion to  believe,  unless,  as  I  have  shown  in  this  discourse,  the 
Spirit  gives  us  evidence,  by  creating  desires,  and  by  leading  us 
to  pray  for  a  particular  object  In  the  case  of  those  promises 
of  a  general  nature,  where  we  are  honestly  at  a  loss  to  know 
in  what  particular  cases  to  apply  them,  it  may  be  considered 


M  APIBIT    OF   PBJLTKS. 

rather  as  our  privilege  than  as  our  duty,  in  many  instances^ 
feo  apply  them  to  particular  cases  ;  but  whenever  the  Spirit 
of  God  leads  us  to  apply  them  to  a  particular  object,  then  it 
becomes  our  dviy  so  to  apply  them.  In  this  case,  God  ex- 
plains his  own  promise,  and  shows  how  he  designed  it  should 
be  apphed-  And  then  our  obHgation  to  make  this  application, 
and  to  beheve  in  reference  to  this  particular  object,  remains 
in  full  force. 

3.  Some  have  supposed  that  Paul  prayed  in  faith  for  the 
removal  of  the  thorn  in  the  flesh,  and  that  it  was  not  granted. 
But  they  cannot  prove  that  Paul  prayed  in  faith.  The  pre- 
sumption is  aU  on  the  other  side,  as  I  have  shown  in  a  former 
lecture.  He  had  neither  promise,  nor  proiDhecy,  nor  provi* 
dence,  nor  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  lead  him  to  believe.  The 
whole  objection  goes  on  the  ground  that  the  apostle  might 
pray  ui  faith  without  being  led  by  the  Spirit  This  is  truly  a 
shorthand  method  of  disposing  of  the  Spirit's  influences  in 
prayer.  Certainly,  to  assume  that  he  prayed  in  faith,  is  to 
assume  either  that  he  prayed  ui  faith  without  being  led  by 
the  Spirit,  or  that  the  Spirit  of  God  led  him  to  pray  for  that 
which  was  not  according  to  the  will  of  God. 

I  have  dwelt  the  more  on  this  object,  because  I  want  to 
have  it  made  so  plain,  that  you  will  all  be  careful  not  to  grieve 
the  Spirit  I  want  you  to  have  high  ideas  of  the  Holy  Ghost^ 
and  to  feel  that  nothing  good  will  be  done  without  his  influ- 
ences. No  praying  or  preaching  will  be  of  any  avail  without 
him.  If  Jesus  Christ  were  to  come  down  here  and  preach 
to  sinners,  not  one  would  be  converted  without  the  Spirit 
Be  careful  then  not  to  grieve  him  away,  by  slighting  or 
neglecting  his  heavenly  influences  when  he  invites  you  to 
pray. 

4.  In  praying  for  an  object^  it  is  necessary  to  persevere  till 
you  obtain  it  Oh,  with  what  eagerness  Chi-istians  sometimes 
pursue  a  sinner  in  their  prayers,  when  the  Spirit  of  God  has 
fixed  their  deaires  on  him  I  No  miser  pursues  his  gold  with 
so  fixed  a  determiuation. 

5.  The  fear  of  being  led  by  impulses  has  done  great  injury, 
by  not  being  duly  considered.  A  person's  mind  may  he  led 
by  an  ignis  fatuus.  But  we  do  wrong  if  wo  let  the  fear  of 
impulses  lead  us  to  resist  the  good  impulses  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  No  wonder  Cliristians  do  not  have  the  spirit  of 
prayer,  if  they  are  unwilhng  to  take  the  trouble  to  distmguish  ; 
and  so  reject  or  resist  all  impulses  and  aU  leadings  of 
invisible  agents.  A  great  deal  has  been  said  about  fanati- 
nsm,  that  is  very  unj^fuarded,  and  that  causes  many  mind* 


BPIBIT   OP   PE.    rB«.  ft 

lo  reject  the  leadings  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  "  As  many  aei 
are  the  sons  of  God  are  led  by  Uie  Spirit  of  God."  And  itia 
our  duty  to  try  the  Spirits  whether  they  be  of  God.  We 
should  insist  on  a  close  scrutiny  and  an  accurate  discrimioft- 
tion.  There  mitst  be  such  a  thing  as  being  led  by  the  Spirit 
And  when  we  are  convinced  it  is  of  God,  we  should  be  sure  to 
foUow — follow  on,  with  full  confidence  that  he  will  not  lead  us 
wrong. 

6.  We  see  from  this  subject  the  absurdity  of  using  forms 
of  prayer.  The  very  idea  of  using  a  form  rejects,  of  course, 
the  leadings  of  the  Spirit.  Nothing  is  more  calculated  to 
destroy  the  spirit  of  prayer,  and  entirely  to  darken  and  con- 
fuse the  mind,  as  to  what  constitutes  prayer,  than  to  use 
forma  Forms  of  prayer  are  not  only  absurd  in  tliemselves, 
but  they  are  the  very  device  of  the  devil  to  destroy  the  spirit 
and  break  the  power  of  prayer.  It  is  of  no  use  to  say  the 
form  is  a  good  one.  Prayer  does  not  consist  in  words.  And 
it  matters  not  what  ^be  words  are,  if  the  heart  is  not  led  by 
the  Spirit  ^i  Q-od.  If  the  desire  is  not  enkindled,  the 
thoughts  directed,  and  the  whole  current  of  feeling  produced 
and  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  it  is  not  prayer.  And  set  forma 
are,  of  all  things,  best  calculated  to  keep  an  individual  from 
praying  as  he  ought. 

7.  The  subject  furnishes  a  test  of  character.  The  Spirit 
maketh  intercession — for  whom?  For  the  saints.  Those 
who  are  saints  are  thus  exercised-  If  you  are  saints,  yon 
know  by  experience  what  it  is  to  be  thus  exercised,  or  it  is 
because  you  have  grieved  the  Spirit  of  God,  so  that  he  will 
not  lead  you.  You  live  in  such  a  maimer  that  this  Holy 
Comforter  will  not  dwell  with  you,  nor  give  you  the  spirit  of 
prayer.  If  this  is  so,  you  must  repent  Whether  you  are  a 
Christian  or  not,  do  not  stop  to  settle  that,  but  repent,  as  if 
you  never  had  repented.  Do  your  first  works.  Don't  take 
it  for  granted  that  you  are  a  Christian  ut  go  like  a  humble 
sinner,  and  pour  out  your  heart  unto  the  Lord.  You  never 
can  have  the  spirit  of  prayer  in  any  other  way. 

8.  The  importance  of  understanding  this  subject 

^^1.)  In  order  to  be  useful  Without  this  spmt  there  can 
be  no  such  sympathy  between  you  and  God  that  you  can 
either  walk  with  God  or  work  with  God.  You  need  to  have 
a  strong  beating  of  your  heart  with  his,  or  you  need  not  ex 
pect  to  be  greatly  useful. 

(2.)  As  important  to  your  sanctification.  Without  such 
a  spu-it  you  will  not  be  sanctified,  you  will  not  understand  the 
Bible,  you  will  not  know  how  to  apply  it  to  your  oase.  I 
5 


§9  SPIRIT    OP    PRATBR. 

want  you  to  feel  the  importance  of  having  God  with  you  all 
the  time.  If  you  hve  as  you  ought,  he  says  he  will  come  unto 
you,  and  make  his  abode  with  you,  and  sup  with  you,  and 
you  with  him. 

9.  If  people  know  not  the  spirit  of  prayer,  they  are  very 
apt  to  be  unbelieving  in  regard  to  tiie  results  of  prayer. 
Thej  do  not  see  what  takes  place,  or  do  not  see  the  connection, 
or  do  not  see  the  evidence.  They  are  not  expecting  spiritual 
blessings.  When  sinners  are  convicted,  they  think  they  are 
only  frightened  by  such  terrible  preaching.  And  when  people 
are  converted,  they  feel  no  confidence,  and  only  say,  "  We'll 
see  how  they  turn  out" 

10.  Those  who  have  the  spirit  of  prayer  know  when  the 
blessing  comes.  It  was  just  so  when  Jesus  Christ  appeared 
These  ungodly  doctors  did  not  know  him.  Why  ?  Because 
they  were  not  praying  for  the  redemption  of  Israel  But 
Simeon  and  Anna  knew  him.  How  was  iiiat  ?  Mark  what  they 
said,  how  they  prayed  and  how  they  Hved.  They  were  pray- 
ing in  faith,  and  so  they  were  not  surprised  when  he  cama 
So  it  is  with  such  Christians.  If  sinners  are  convicted  or 
converted,  they  are  not  surprised  at  it  They  were  expecting 
just  such  thiaga  They  know  God  when  he  comes,  becaude 
they  were  looking  out  for  his  visits. 

11.  There  are  three  classes  of  persons  in  the  church  who 
are  liable  to  error,  or  have  left  the  truth  out  of  view,  on  this 
subject 

(1.)  Those  who  place  great  reliance  on  prayer,  and  use  no 
other  means.  They  are  alarmed  at  any  special  means,  and 
tall?  about  your  "  getting  up  a  revival  " 

(2.)  Over  against  these  are  those  who  use  means,  and  pray, 
but  never  think  about  the  influences  of  the  Spirit  in  prayer. 
They  talk  about  prayer  for  the  Spirit,  and  feel  the  import- 
ance of  the  Spirit  in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  but  do  not 
realize  the  importance  of  the  Spirit  in  prayer.  And  their 
prayers  are  all  cold  talk,  nothing  that  any  body  can  feel,  or 
that  can  take  hold  of  God. 

(3.)  Those  who  have  certain  strange  notions  about  the 
iovereignty  of  God,  and  are  waiting  for  God  to  convert  the 
world  without  prayer  or  means. 

There  must  be  in  the  jhurch  a  deeper  sense  of  the  need  of 
the  spirit  of  prayer.  Tae  fact  is  that,  generciUy„  those  who 
use  means  most  assiduously,  and  make  the  most  strenuous 
efforts  for  the  salvation  of  men,  and  who  have  the  most  cor- 
rect notions  of  the  manner  in  which  means  should  be  used 
for  converting  sinners,  also  pray  most  for  the  Spirit  of  God> 


BPIBIT   OF   PBATSB.  W9 

and  wrestle  most  with  God  for  his  blessing.  And  what  is  ih» 
result  ?  Let  facts  speak,  and  say  whether  these  persons  do 
or  do  not  pray,  and  whether  the  Spirit  of  God  does  not  tes- 
tify to  their  prayers,  and  follow  their  labors  with  his  power. 

12.  A  spirit  very  different  from  the  spirit  of  prayer  appears 
to  prevail  in  certain  portions  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at 
the  present  time.  Nothing  will  produce  an  excitement  and 
opposition  so  quick  as  the  spmt  of  prayer.  If  any  person 
should  feel  burdened  with  the  case  of  sinners,  in  prayer,  so 
as  to  groan  lq  his  prayer,  why,  the  women  are  nervous,  and 
he  is  visited  at  once  with  rebuke  and  opposition.  From  my 
soul  I  abhor  all  affectation  of  feeling  where  there  is  none, 
and  all  attempts  to  work  one's  self  up  iato  feeliog  by  groana 
But  I  feel  bound  to  defend  the  position  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  boiog  in  a  state  of  mind  in  which  there  is  but  one 
way  to  keep  from  groaning  ;  and  that  is,  by  resisting  the 
Holy  Ghost.  I  was  once  present  where  this  subject  was  dis- 
cussed. It  was  said  that  groaning  ought  to  be  disoounte- 
Qanced-  The  question  was  asked,  whether  God  could  noi 
produce  such  a  state  of  feeliog  that  to  abstain  from  groaning 
was  impossible?  and  the  answer  was,  "Yes,  but  he  never 
doea"  Then  the  apostle  Paul  was  egregiously  deceived  when 
he  wrote  about  groaniogs  that  cannot  be  uttered  Edwards 
was  deceived  when  he  wrote  his  book  upon  revivals.  Re- 
vivals are  all  in  the  dark.  Now,  no  man  who  reviews  the 
history  of  the  church  wlQ  adopt  such  a  sentitneni  I  do  not 
like  this  attempt  to  shut  out,  or  stifle,  or  keep  down,  or  limit 
the  spirit  of  prayer.  I  would  sooner  cut  off  my  right  hand 
than  rebuke  the  spirit  of  prayer,  as  I  have  heard  of  its  being 
done  by  saying,  "  Don't  let  me  hear  any  more  groaning." 

But  then,  I  hardly  know  where  to  conclude  this  subject  I 
should  like  to  discuss  it  a  month,  and  till  the  whole  church 
could  understand  it,  so  as  to  pray  the  prayer  of  faith.  Be- 
loved, I  want  to  ask  you  if  you  beHeve  all  this  ?  Or  do  you 
wonder  that  I  should  talk  so  ?  Perhaps  some  of  you  have 
had  some  glimpses  of  these  things.  Now,  will  you  give  your- 
selves up  to  prayer,  and  hve  so  as  to  have  the  spirit  of 
prayer,  and  have  the  spirit  with  you  all  the  time  ?  Oh,  for  a 
praying  church !  I  once  knew  a  minister  who  had  a  revival  four- 
teen winters  in  succession.  I  did  not  know  how  to  account  for  it 
till  I  saw  one  of  his  members  get  up  in  a  prayer  meeting  and 
make  a  confession.  "  Brethren,"  said  he,  "  I  have  been  long 
in  the  habit  of  praying  every  Saturday  night  till  after  mid- 
night, for  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  among  us.  And 
DOW,  brethren,"  and  he  began  to  weep,  "I  confess  that  I 


100  SPIRIT   OP    P&ATBa. 

have  neglected  it  for  two  or  three  weeka**  The  secret  waa 
out  That  minister  had  a  praying  chui'ch.  Brethren,  in  my 
present  state  of  health,  I  find  it  impossible  to  pray  as  much 
as  I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  doing,  and  continue  to  preach. 
It  overcomes  my  strength.  Now,  shall  I  give  myself  up  to 
prayer,  and  stop  preaching?  That  wiU  not  do.  Now,  will 
not  you,  who  are  iu  health,  throw  yourselves  into  this  work, 
and  bear  this  burden,  and  lay  yourselves  out  in  prayer,  till 
God  will  pour  out  his  blessing  upon  us  ? 


LECTUEE    Vn. 


BB   niiLED   WITH   THE   SFIBIT. 


Tbxt.— Be  filled  with  the  Spirit.— Eyn.  ▼.  IS. 

Sbveral  of  my  last  lectures  have  been  on  the  subjecfc  oi 
prayer,  and  the  importance,  of  having  the  spirit  of  prayer,  of 
the  intercession  of  the  Holy  Ghost  Whenever  the  necessity 
and  importance  of  the  Spirit's  influences  are  held  forth,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  persons  are  in  danger  of  abusing  the 
doctrine,  and  perverting  it  to  theii*  own  injury.  For  instance; 
when  you  tell  sinners  that  without  the  Holy  Spirit  they  never 
will  repent,  they  are  very  hable  to  pervert  the  tmth,  and  un- 
derstand by  it  that  they  cannot  repent,  and  therefore  are  under 
no  obhgation  to  do  it  until  they  feel  the  Spirit.  It  is  often 
difficult  to  make  them  see  that  all  the  "  cannot "  consists  in 
their  unwillmgness,  and  not  in  their  inability.  So  again, 
when  we  tell  Christians  tliat  they  need  the  Spirit's  aid  in  pray^ 
er,  they  are  very  apt  to  think  they  are  under  no  obligation  to 
pray  the  prayer  of  faith,  until  they  feel  the  iofluences  of 
the  Spirit  They  overlook  their  obligation  to  be  filled  with 
the  Spu'it  and  wait  for  the  spirit  of  prayer  to  come  upon  them 
without  asking,  and  thus  tempt  God. 

Before  we  come  to  consider  the  other  department  of  means 
for  promoting  a  revival,  that  is,  the  means  to  be  used  with  sin- 
ners, I  wish  to  show  you,  that  if  you  Hve  without  the  Spirit, 
you  are  without  excuse.  Obligation  to  perform  duty  never 
rests  on  the  condition,  that  we  shall  first  have  the  influence 
of  the  Spirit,  but  on  the  powers  of  moral  agency.  We,  ae 
moral  agents,  have  the  power  to  obey  God,  and  ai-e  perfectly 
bound  to  o})ey,  and  the  reason  we  do  not  is,  that  we  are  un- 
willing. The  influences  of  the  Spirit  are  wholly  a  matter  of 
grace.  If  they  were  indispensable  to  enable  us  to  perform 
duty,  the  bestowment  of  them  would  not  be  a  gracious  act, 
but  a  mere  matter  of  common  justice.  Siimers  are  not  bound 
to  repent  because  they  have  the  Spirit's  influence,  or  because 
they  can  obtain  it,  but  because  they  are  moral  agents,  and 
have  the  powers  which  God  requires  them  to  exercisa  So  m 
the  case  of  Christians.  They  are  not  bound  to  pray  in  faith 
because  they  have  the  Spirit,  (except  in  those  cases  where  his 

(lOU 


102  BX   FILLED   WITH   THB    SPIBIT. 

influences  in  begetting  desire  constitnte  the  evidence  that  it 
is  God's  will  to  grant  the  object  of  desire,)  but  because  they 
have  evidence.  They  are  not  bound  to  pray  in  faith  at  all, 
excejjt  when  they  have  evidence  as  the  foundation  of  theii 
faith.  They  must  have  evidence  from  promises,  or  principle, 
or  prophecy,  or  providenca  And  where  they  have  evidence 
independent  of  his  influences,  they  are  bound  to  exercise  faith, 
whether  they  have  the  Spirit's  influence  or  not  They  are 
bound  to  see  the  evidence,  and  to  beheve.  The  Spirit  is  given 
not  to  enable  them  to  see  or  beheve,  but  because  without  it 
they  wHl  not  look,  nor  feel,  nor  act,  as  they  ought  I  purpose 
this  evening  to  show  from  the  text, 

L  That  Christians  may  be  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God- 

EL  That  it  is  their  duty  to  be  filled  with  the  Spirit 

ITT.  Why  they  are  not  filled  with  the  Spirit 

rV.  The  gmlt  of  those  who  have  not  the  Spirit  of  God,  to 
lead  their  minds  in  duty  and  prayer. 

V.  ITie  consequences  that  will  follow  if  they  are  filled  with 
the  Spirit 

VL  The  consequences  if  they  are  not 

L  I  am  to  show  you  that  you  may  have  the  Spirit  Not 
because  it  is  a  matter  of  justice  for  God  to  give  you  his  Spir- 
it, but  because  he  has  promised  to  give  it  to  those  that  ask. 
"  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  your 
children,  how  much  more  shaU  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven 
give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him  1"  If  you  ask  the 
Holy  Spirit,  God  has  promised  to  give  it 

But  again,  God  has  commanded  you  to  have  it  He  says 
in  the  text,  "Be  filled  with  the  Spirit"  When  God  com- 
mands us  to  do  a  thing,  it  is  the  highest  possible  evidence 
that  we  can  do  it  For  God  to  commajid,  is  equivalent  to 
an  oath  that  we  can  do  it  He  has  no  right  to  command, 
unless  we  have  power  to  obey.  There  is  no  stopping  short 
of  the  conclusion  that  God  is  an  infinite  tyrant,  if  he  oont 
mands  that  which  is  impracticable. 

XL  I  am  to  show,  secondly,  that  it  is  your  duty. 

L  Because  you  have  a  promise  of  it 

Su  Because  God  has  commanded  it 

8.  It  is  essential  to  your  own  growth  in  grace  that  yon 
should  be  filled  with  the  Spirit 

4.  It  is  as  important  as  it  is  that  you  should  be  sanctified. 

5.  It  is  as  necessary  as  it  is  that  you  should  be  useful  and 
do  good  in  the  world. 

6.  If  you  do  not  have  the  Spirit  of  God  in  you,  you  wiD 
dishonor  God,  disgi-ace  the  church,  and  die  and  go  to  hell. 


BK   FUJLKD    WITH   THE    SPIRIT.  101 

EEL  Wliy  many  do  not  have  the  Spirit  There  are  some, 
even  professors  of  religion,  who  will  say,  "  I  do  not  know  any 
thing  about  this  ;  I  never  had  any  such  experience  ;  either 
it  is  not  tnio  or  I  am  all  wrong."  No  doubt  you  are  all  wrong, 
if  you  know  nothing  about  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  I  want 
to  present  you  with  a  few  of  the  reasons  that  may  prevent 
you  from  being  filled  with  the  Spirit 

1.  It  may  be  that  you  hve  a  hypocritical  life.  Your  pray- 
ers are  not  earnest  and  sincere.  Not  only  is  your  religion  a 
mere  outside  show,  without  any  heart,  but  you  are  insincere 
in  your  intercourse  with  others.  Thus  you  do  many  things 
to  grieve  the  Spirit,  so  that  he  cannot  dwell  with  you- 

A  minister  was  once  boarding  in  a  certain  family,  and  the 
lady  of  the  house  was  constantly  complaining  that  she  did 
not  enjoy  her  mind,  and  nothing  seemed  to  help  her.  One 
day  some  ladies  called  to  see  her,  and  she  protested  that  she 
was  very  much  offended  because  they  had  not  called  before, 
and  pressed  them  to  stay  and  spend  the  day,  and  declared 
she  covld  not  consent  to  let  them  go.  They  excused  them- 
selves, however,  and  left  the  house,  and  as  soon  as  they  were 
gone,  she  said  to  her  servant,  she  wondered  these  people  had 
so  little  sense  as  to  be  always  troubling  her,  and  taking  up 
her  time.  The  minister  heard  it,  and  immediately  rebuked 
her,  and  told  her  she  could  now  see  why  she  did  not  enjoy 
rehgioiL  It  was  because  she  was  in  the  daily  habit  of  insin- 
cerity that  amounted  to  downright  lying.  And  the  Spirit  of 
truth  could  not  dwell  in  such  a  heart 

2.  Others  have  so  much  Ir^vity  that  the  Spirit  will  not  dwell 
with  them.  The  Spint  of  God  is  solemn,  and  serious,  and 
wiQ  not  dwell  with  those  who  give  way  to  thoughtless  levity. 

3.  Others  are  so  proud  that  they  cannot  have  the  Spirit 
They  are  so  fond  of  dress,  high  Hfe,  equipage,  fashion,  etc., 
that  it  is  no  wonder  they  are  not  filled  witii  the  Spirit  And 
yet  such  persons  will  pretend  to  be  at  a  loss  to  know  why  it 
is  that  they  do  not  enjoy  rehgion  I 

4  Some  are  so  worldly-minded,  love  property  so  well,  and 
are  tryiug  so  hard  to  get  rich,  that  they  cannot  have  the  Spii> 
it  How  can  he  dwell  with  them,  when  their  thoughts  are  aU 
on  things  of  the  world,  and  all  their  powers  absorbed  in  pro- 
curing wealth  ?  And  they  hold  on  to  it  when  they  get  it,  and 
they  ai-e  pained  if  pressed  by  conscience  to  do  something  for 
the  conversion  of  the  world.  They  show  how  much  they 
love  the  world,  in  aU  their  intercourse  with  othera  Little 
things  show  it  They  will  screw  down  a  poor  man,  who  ia 
doing  a  httle  piece  of  work  for  them,  to  the  Iciest  penny.    If 


104  BB    PILLED    WITH    THE    SPIRn 

they  are  dealing  on  a  large  scale,  very  likely  they  will  be  lib- 
eral and  fair,  because  it  is  for  their  advantage.  But  if  it  is  a 
person  they  care  not  about,  a  laborer,  or  a  mechanic,  or  a 
servant,  they  will  gi-ind  hiin  down  to  the  last  fraction,  no 
matter  what  it  is  really  worth  ;  and  they  actually  pretend  to 
make  conscience  of  it,  that  they  cannot  possibly  give  any 
mora  Now  they  would  be  ashamed  to  deal  so  with  people 
of  their  own  rank,  because  it  would  be  known  and  injure 
their  reputation.  But  God  knows  it,  and  has  it  all  written 
down,  that  they  are  covetous  and  unfair  in  their  dealings, 
and  will  not  do  right,  only  when  it  is  for  their  interest.  Now 
how  can  such  professors  have  the  Spirit  of  God  ?  It  is  im- 
possible. 

There  are  a  multitude  of  such  things,  by  which  the  Spirit 
of  God  is  grieved.  People  call  them  little  sins,  but  God  will 
not  call  them  httle.  I  was  struck  with  this  thought,  when  I 
saw  a  Httle  notice  in  the  Evangelist.  The  pubHshers  stated 
that  they  had  many  thousand  dollars  in  the  hands  of  subscrib- 
ers, which  was  justly  due,  and  that  it  would  cost  them  as 
much  as  it  was  worth  to  send  an  agent  to  collect  it.  I  sup- 
pose it  is  so  with  aU  the  other  religious  papers,  that  subscrib- 
ers either  put  the  pubUsher  to  the  trouble  and  expense  of 
sending  an  agent  to  collect  his  due,  or  else  they  cheat  him  out 
of  it.  There  are  doubtless,  I  do  not  know  how  many,  thous- 
ands of  dollars  held  back  in  this  way  by  professors  of  religion, 
just  because  it  is  iu  such  small  sums,  or  they  are  so  far  off 
that  they  ca?inot  be  sued.  And  yet  these  people  will  pray, 
and  appear  very  pious,  and  wonder  why  they  cannot  enjoy 
religion,  and  have  the  Spirit  of  God  I  It  is  this  looseness  of 
moral  principle,  this  want  of  conscience  about  little  matters, 
prevailing  iu  the  chm*ch,  that  grieves  away  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Wliy,  it  would  be  disgraceful  to  God  to  dwell  and  have  com- 
munion with  such  persons,  who  will  take  an  advantage  and 
cheat  their  neighbor  out  of  his  dues,  because  they  can  do  it 
and  not  be  disgraced. 

5.  Others  do  not  fully  confess  ajid  forsake  their  sins,  and  so 
cannot  enjoy  the  Spirit*s  presence.  They  will  confess  their 
BLQS  m  general  terms,  perhaps,  and  are  ready  always  to  ao 
knowledge  that  they  are  sinners.  Or  they  will  confess  pai- 
tially  some  paiiicular  sius.  But  they  do  it  reservedly,  proud- 
ly, guardedly,  as  if  they  were  afi'aid  they  should  say  a  httle 
more  than  is  necessary  ;  that  is,  when  they  confess  to  men 
the  injuries  done  to  them.  They  do  it  in  a  way  which  shows 
that,  instead  of  bm-sting  forth  from  an  ingenuous  heart,  the 
eonfession  is  wiimg  from  them,  by  the  hand  of  conscience 


BB    FILLBD    WITH    THE    SPTBrP.  lOi 

gripping  them.  If  they  have  injured  any  one,  they  wiU  make 
a  partial  recantation,  which  is  hard-hearted,  cruel,  and  hypo- 
critical, and  then  they  will  ask,  "  Now,  brother,  are  you  satis- 
fied ?  "  And  you  know  it  would  be  very  difficult  for  a  person 
to  say  that  he  was  not  satisfied,  even  if  the  confession  is  cold 
and  heartless.  But  I  tell  you  God  is  not  satisfied.  He  knows 
whether  you  have  gone  the  full  length  of  honest  confession, 
and  taken  all  the  blame  that  belongs  to  you.  If  your  con- 
fessions have  been  constrained  and  wrung  from  you,  do  you 
suppose  you  can  cheat  God  1  "  He  that  covereth  his  sins 
shah  not  prosper,  but  whoso  confesseth  and  forsaketh  shaD  .. 
find  mercy."  "  He  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted.**  ^* 
Unless  you  come  quite  down,  and  confess  your  sins  honestly, 
and  remunerate  where  you  have  done  injury,  you  have  no 
right  to  expect  the  spirit  of  prayer. 

6.  Others  are  neglecting  some  known  duty,  and  that  is  the 
reason  why  they  have  not  the  Spirit.  One  does  not  pray  in 
his  family,  though  he  knows  he  ought  to  do  it,  and  yet  he  is 
trying  to  get  the  spirit  of  prayer  I  There  is  many  a  yoimg  man 
who  feels  in  his  heart  that  he  ought  to  prepare  for  the  ministry, 
and  he  has  not  the  spirit  of  prayer  because  he  has  some 
worldly  object  in  view,  which  prevents  his  devoting  himself  to 
the  work.  He  has  known  his  duty,  and  refuses  to  do  it,  and 
now  he  is  praying  for  direction  from  tlie  Spii'it  of  God.  He 
cannot  have  it.  One  has  neglected  to  make  a  profession  of 
rehgion.  He  knows  his  duty,  but  he  refuses  to  join  the  church. 
He  once  had  the  spirit  of  prayer,  but  neglecting  his  duty,  he 
grieved  the  Spirit  away.  And  now  he  thinks,  if  he  could  once 
more  enjoy  the  light  of  God's  countenance,  and  have  his  evir 
deuces  renewed,  he  would  do  his  duty,  and  join  the  chui'ch. 
And  so  he  is  praying  for  it  again,  and  trying  to  bring  God 
over  to  his  terms,  to  grant  him  his  presenca  You  need  not 
expect  it.  You  will  live  and  die  in  darkness,  unless  you  are 
willing  first  to  do  your  duty,  before  God  manifests  himself  as 
reconciled  to  you.  It  is  in  vain  to  say,  you  will  come  forward 
if  God  wiU  first  show  you  the  light  of  his  countenance.  He 
never  will  do  it  as  long  as  you  live  ;  he  will  let  you  die  with- 
out it,  if  you  refuse  to  do  your  duty. 

I  have  known  women  who  felt  that  they  ought  to  talk  to 
their  unconverted  husbands,  and  pray  with  them,  but  they 
have  neglected  it,  and  so  they  get  into  the  dark.  They  knew 
their  duty  and  refused  to  do  it;  they  went  round  it,  and  there 
they  lost  the  spirit  of  prayer. 

If  you  have  neglected  any  known  duty,  and  thus  lost  the 
gpirit  of  prayer,  you  must  vield  first.     God  has  a  controversy 


109  BK    FILLBD    WITH   THE    8PIBIT. 

with  yon  ;  you  have  refosed  obedience  to  God,  and  you  must 
retract  it  You  may  have  forgotten  it,  but  God  has  not,  and 
you  must  set  yourself  to  recall  it  to  mind,  and  repent.  God 
never  will  yield  nor  grant  you  his  Spirit,  till  you  repent.  Had 
I  an  omniscient  eye  now,  I  could  call  the  names  of  the  indi- 
viduals in  this  congregation,  who  had  neglected  some  known 
duty,  or  committed  some  sin,  that  they  have  not  repented  o^ 
and  now  they  are  praying  for  the  spirit  of  prayer,  but  they 
cannot  succeed  in  obtaiaing  it 

To  illustrate  this  I  wiU  relate  a  case.  A  good  man  in  the 
western  part  of  this  State,  had  been  a  long  time  an  engaged 
Christian,  and  he  used  to  talk  to  the  sleepy  church  with  whidi 
he  was  connected.  By-and-by  the  church  was  offended  and 
got  out  of  patience,  and  many  told  him  they  wished  he  would 
let  them  alone,  they  did  not  think  he  could  do  them  any  good. 
He  took  them  at  their  word,  and  they  all  went  to  sleep  to- 
gether, and  remaraed  so  two  or  tkree  years.  By-and-by  a 
minister  came  among  them  and  a  revival  commenced,  but  this 
elder  seemed  to  have  lost  his  spirituality.  He  used  to  be  for- 
ward ia  a  good  work,  but  now  he  held  back.  Everybody 
thought  it  unaccountabla  Finally,  as  he  was  goiag  home  one 
nigh^  the  truth  of  his  situation  flashed  upon  his  mind,  and  he 
went  iato  absolute  despair  for  a  few  minutes.  At  length  his 
thoughts  were  directed  back  to  that  sinful  resolution  to  let  the 
church  alone  in  their  sins.  He  felt  that  no  language  could 
describe  the  blackness  of  that  sin.  He  realized  that  moment 
what  it  was  to  be  lost,  and  to  find  that  God  had  a  controversy 
with  him.  He  saw  that  it  was  a  bad  spirit  which  caused  the 
resolution:  the  same  that  caused  Moses  to  say,  "  You  rebels." 
He  humbled  himself  on  the  spot,  and  God  poured  out  hia 
Spirit  on  him.  Perhaps  some  of  you  that  hear  me  are  iu  just 
this  situation.  You  have  said  something  provoking  or  un- 
kind to  some  person.  Perhaps  it  was  peevishness  to  a  servant 
that  was  a  Christian.  Or  perhaps  it  was  speaking  censorious- 
ly of  a  minister  or  some  other  person.  Perhaps  you  have 
been  angry  because  your  opinions  have  not  been  taken,  or 
your  dignity  has  been  encroached  upon.  Search  thoroughly, 
and  see  if  you  cannot  find  out  the  sin.  Perhaps  you  have 
forgotten  it  But  God  has  not  forgotten  it,  and  never  wiU 
forgive  your  unchi-istian  conduct  until  you  repent  God  can- 
not overlook  it  It  would  do  no  good  if  he  should.  What 
good  would  it  do  to  forgive,  while  the  sin  i&  rankling  in  your 
heart? 

7.  Perhaps  you  have  resisted  the  Spirit  of  Gt)d.  Perhaps 
you  are  in  the  habit  of  resisting  the  Spirit     You  resist  convio- 


BI    FILLED    WITH   THE    BPIBIT.  107 

tlon.  In  preaching,  when  something  has  been  said  tiiai 
reached  your  case,  joiir  heai-t  has  risen  up  against  it  and  re- 
sisted Many  are  willing  to  hear  plain  and  searching  preach- 
ing so  long  as  they  can  apply  it  all  to  others;  a  misanthropio 
spirit  makes  them  take  a  satisftiction  in  hearing  others  searched 
and  rebuked  ;  but  if  the  truth  touch  therriy  they  directly  cry 
out  that  it  is  personal  and  abusive.     Is  this  your  case  ? 

8.  The  fact  is  that  you  do  not  on  the  whole  desire  the  Spirit 
This  is  time  in  every  case  in  which  you  do  not  have  the  Spirit 
Let  me  not  be  mistaken  here.  I  want  you  should  carefully 
discriminate.  Nothing  is  more  common  than  for  people  to 
desire  a  thing  on  some  accounts,  which  they  do  not  choose  on 
the  whole.  A  person  may  see  an  article  in  a  store  which  he 
desires  to  purchase,  and  he  goes  in  and  asks  the  price,  and 
thinks  of  it  a  Httle,  and  on  tiie  whole  concludes  not  to  ptu> 
chase  it  He  desires  the  article,  but  does  not  like  the  price, 
or  does  not  like  to  be  at  the  expense,  so  that,  upon  the  whole, 
he  prefers  not  to  purchase  it  That  is  the  reason  why  he  does 
not  purchase  it  So  persons  may  desire  the  Spirit  of  God  on 
some  accounts  ;  from  a  regard  to  the  comfort  and  joy  of  heart 
which  it  brings.  K  you  know  what  it  is  by  former  experience 
to  commune  with  God,  and  how  sweet  it  is  to  dissolve  in  peni- 
tence and  to  be  filled  with  the  Spirit,  you  cannot  but  desire  a 
return  of  those  joys.  And  you  may  set  yourself  to  pray 
earnestly  for  it,  and  to  pray  for  a  revival  of  rehgion.  But  on 
the  whole  you  are  unwilling  it  should  come.  You  have  so 
much  to  do  that  you  cannot  attend  to  it  Or  it  will  require 
so  many  sacrifices,  that  you  cannot  bear  to  have  it  There 
are  some  things  you  are  not  willing  to  give  up.  You  find  that 
if  you  wish  to  have  the  Spiiit  of  God  dwell  with  you,  you  must 
lead  a  different  life,  you  must  give  up  the  world,  you  must 
make  sacrifices,  you  must  break  off  from  your  worldly  associ- 
ates, and  make  confession  of  your  sios.  And  so  on  the  whole 
you  do  not  choose  to  have  him  come,  unless  he  will  consent 
to  dwell  with  you  and  let  you  Hve  as  you  pleasa  But  that  he 
never  will  do. 

9.  Perhaps  you  do  not  pray  for  the  Spirit ;  or  you  pray  and 
ase  no  other  means,  or  pray  and  do  not  act  consistently  with 
your  prayers.  Or  you  use  means  calculated  to  resist  them. 
Or  you  ask,  and  as  soon  as  he  comes  and  begins  to  affect 
your  mind,  you  grieve  him  right  away,  and  will  not  walk 
with  him. 

IV.  I  am  to  show  the  great  guilt  of  not  ha-fing  the  Spirit 
of  God. 
1.  Your  gmlt  is  just  as  great  as  the  authority  of  Gk)d  \b 


108  SB    ITIXXD    WITH    THB    SPIBIX. 

great,  which  oommands  you  to  be  filled  with  the  Spirit  GkxJ 
commands  it,  and  it  is  just  as  much  a  disobedience  of  God'8 
commands,  as  it  is  to  swear  profanely,  or  steal,  or  commit 
adultery,  or  break  the  Sabbath.  Think  of  thai  And  yet  there 
are  many  people  who  do  not  blame  themselves  at  all  for  not 
having  the  Spirit.  They  even  think  themselves  quite  pious 
Christians,  because  they  go  to  prayer  meetings,  and  partake 
of  the  sacrament,  and  all  that,  though  they  hve  year  after  year 
without  the  Spirit  of  God,  Now,  you  see  that  the  same  God 
who  says,  "  Do  not  get  drunk,"  says  also,  "  Be  filled  with  the 
Spuit."  You  all  say,  if  a  man  is  an  habitual  mui'derer,  or  a 
thief,  he  is  no  ChiHstian.  Why  ?  Because  he  hves  in  habitual 
disobedience  of  God,  So  if  he  swears,  you  have  no  charity 
for  him.  You  will  not  allow  him  to  plead  that  his  heart  ia 
right,  and  words  are  nothing.  God  does  not  care  anything 
about  words.  You  would  think  it  outrageous  to  have  such  a 
man  ui  church,  or  to  have  a  company  of  such  people  pretend 
to  call  themselves  a  church  of  Christ.  And  yet  they  are  not 
a  whit  more  absolutely  hving  in  disobedience  to  God  than  you 
are,  who  live  without  the  spirit  of  prayer,  and  without  the  pre 
eence  of  God. 

2.  Your  guilt  is  equal  to  all  the  good  you  might  do  if  you 
had  the  Spirit  of  God  in  as  great  a  measure  as  it  is  your  duty 
to  have  it,  and  as  you  might  have  it.  You,  elders  of  this 
church  1  how  much  good  you  might  do,  if  you  had  the  Spirit 
And  you,  Sunday-school  teachers,  how  much  good  you  might 
do  ;  and  you,  church-members,  too,  if  you  were  filled  with  the 
Spuit,  you  might  do  vast  good,  infinite  good.  Well,  your 
guilt  is  just  as  great  Here  is  a  blessing  promised,  and 
you  can  have  it  by  doing  your  duty.  You  are  entirely  re- 
sponsible to  the  church  and  to  God  for  all  this  good  that 
you  might  do.  A  man  is  responsible  for  all  the  good  he 
can  do. 

3.  Your  guilt  is  further  measured  by  all  the  evil  which  you 
do  in  consequence  of  not  having  the  Spirit  You  axe  a  dis- 
honor to  rehgion.  You  are  a  stumbling  block  to  the  church, 
and  to  the  world.  And  your  guilt  is  enhanced  by  all  the  var 
rious  influences  you  exert  And  it  will  prove  so  in  the  day  of 
judgment 

V.  The  consequences  of  having  the  Spirit 

1.  You  will  be  called  eccentric  ;  and  probably  you  will  d& 
serve  it  Probably  you  will  really  be  eccentric.  I  never  kne-W 
a  person  who  was  filled  with  the  Spirit,  that  was  not  called  eo 
oentric  And  the  reason  is,  that  they  are  unlike  other  people. 
TJiis  is  always  a  term  of  comparison.     There  is  therefore  the 


BE    FILLED    WITH    THE   SPIBIT.  lOf 

best  of  reasons  why  such  persons  should  appear  eccentric. 
They  act  under  different  influences,  take  different  views,  are 
moved  by  different  motives,  led  by  a  different  spirit  You  are 
to  expect  such  remarks.  How  often  I  have  heard  the  remark 
respecting  such  and  such  persons,  "  He  is  a  very  good  man — 
but  he  is  rather  eccentric."  I  have  sometimes  asked  for  the 
particulars  ;  ia  what  does  his  eccentricity  consist  ?  I  hear 
the  catalogue,  and  the  amount  is,  that  he  is  spiritual  Make 
up  your  mind  for  this,  to  be  eccentric  There  is  such  a  thing 
as  affected  eccentricity.  Hon-ible !  But  there  is  such  a  thiug 
OS  being  so  deeply  imbued  with  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  you 
must  and  will  act  so  as  to  appear  strange  and  eccentric,  to 
those  who  cannot  understand  the  reasons  of  your  con- 
duct. 

2.  If  you  have  much  of  the  spirit  of  God,  it  is  not  unlikely 
you  will  be  thought  deranged,  by  many,  We  judge  men  to 
be  deranged  when  they  act  differently  from  what  we  think  to 
be  prudent  and  according  to  common  sense,  and  when  they 
come  to  conclusions  for  which  we  can  see  no  good  reasons. 
Paul  was  accused  of  being  deranged  by  tliose  who  thd  not 
understand  the  views  of  things  under  which  he  acted  No 
doubt  Festus  thought  the  man  was  crazy,  and  that  much 
learning  had  made  him  mad.  But  Paul  said,  "  I  am  not  mad, 
most  noble  Festus."  His  conduct  was  so  strange,  so  novel, 
that  Festus  thought  it  must  be  insanity.  But  the  tiiith  was, 
he  only  saw  the  subject  so  clearly  that  he  threw  his  whole 
joul  into  it.  They  were  entirely  in  the  dark  in  respect  to  the 
notive  by  which  he  was  actuated.  This  is  by  no  means  un- 
common. Multitudes  have  appeared  to  those  who  had  no 
Apirituality  as  if  they  were  deranged.  Yet  they  saw  good 
reasons  for  doing  as  they  did.  God  was  leading  their  minds 
to  act  in  such  a  way  that  those  who  were  not  spuntual  could 
not  see  the  reasons.  You  must  make  up  your  mind  to  this, 
and  so  much  the  more,  as  you  hve  more  above  the  world  and 
walk  with  God- 

3.  If  you  have  the  Spu*it  of  God,  you  must  exj^ect  to  feel  ■  ^^'' 
great  distress  in  view  of  the  church  and  the  world.  Some 
spiritual  epicures  ask  for  the  Spirit  because  they  think  it  will 
make  them  so  perfectly  happy.  Some  people  think  that 
spiritual  Christians  ai'e  always  very  happy  and  free  from 
sorrow. 

There  never  was  a  greater  mistaka  Read  your  Bibles,  and 
see  how  the  prophets  and  apostles  were  always  gi'oaning  and 
distressed  in  view  of  the  state  of  the  church  and  the  world. 
The  apostle  Paul  says  he  was  always  beaiin^  about  in  hip 


110  BB    FILLED    WITH    TUB!    SPIRIT. 

body  the  dying  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  I  protest,  says  he,  that  1 
die  daily.  You  will  know  what  it  is  to  sympathize  with  the 
Lord  Jesus  Chriat,  and  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  that  he 
was  baptized  with.  Oh  how  he  agonized  in  view  of  the  state 
of  sinners  1  how  he  travailed  in  soul  for  their  salvation  !  The 
more  you  have  of  his  Spirit,  the  more  clearly  you  will  see  the 
state  of  sinners,  and  the  more  deeply  you  will  be  distressed 
about  them.  Many  times  you  will  feel  as  if  you  could  not 
live  in  view  of  their  situation  ;  your  distress  mil  be  unuttei^ 
able.  Paul  says,  Rom.  ix  :  1-3  :  "  I  say  the  truth  in  Christ, 
I  lie  not,  my  conscience  also  bearing  me  witness  in  the  Holy 
Ghost,  that  I  have  great  heaviness  and  continual  sorrow  in 
my  heart  For  I  could  wish  that  myself  were  accursed 
from  Chi'ist  for  my  brethren,  my  kinsmen  according  to  the 


4.  You  will  be  often  grieved  with  the  state  of  the  ministry. 
Some  years  since  I  met  a  woman  belonging  to  one  of  the 
churches  in  this  city.  I  inquired  of  her  the  state  of  religion 
here.  She  seemed  unwilling  to  say  much  about  it,  made  some 
general  remarks,  and  then  choked,  and  her  eyes  filled,  and 
she  said,  "  Oh,  our  minister's  mind  seems  to  be  very  dark.* 
Spiritual  Chi-istians  often  feel  like  tliis,  and  often  weep  over 
it.  I  have  seen  much  of  it,  and  often  foimd  Christians  who 
wept  and  groaned  in  seci*et,  to  see  the  darkness  on  the  minds 
of  ministers  in  regard  to  rehgion,  their  earthliness  and  fear 
of  man  ;  but  they  dared  not  speali  of  it,  lest  they  should  be 
denounced  and  threatened,  and  perhaps  turned  out  of  the 
church.  I  do  not  say  these  things  censoriously,  to  reproach 
my  brethren,  but  because  they  are  true.  And  ministers 
ought  to  know  that  nothing  is  more  common  than  for  spiiit- 
ual  Christians  to  feel  burdened  and  distressed  at  the  state  of 
the  ministry.  I  would  not  wake  up  any  wrong  feelings 
towards  ministers,  but  it  is  time  it  should  be  known  that 
Chiistians  do  often  get  spiritual  views  of  things,  and  their 
souls  are  kindled  up,  and  then  they  find  that  their  minister 
does  not  enter  into  their  feehngs,  that  he  is  far  below  the 
standard  of  what  he  ought  to  be,  and  in  spirituaHty  far  be- 
low some  of  tlie  members  of  his  church.  This  is  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  deeply  to  be  deplored  evils  of  the 
present  day.  The  piety  of  the  minifitry,  though  recd^  is  so 
Bupei-ficial,  in  many  instances,  that  the  spiritual  part  of  tlie 
church  feel  that  ministers  cannot,  do  not,  s}^npathize  with 
them.  Their  preaching  does  not  meet  their  wants,  it  does 
not  feed  them,  it  does  not  meet  their  experience.  The  min- 
ister has  not  depth  enough  of  religious  experieoce  to  kno^- 


BB   FUxLKD    WITH   THB   SPIfilT.  Ill 

how  to  search  and  wake  up  the  church  ;  to  help  those  under 
temptation,  to  support  the  weak,  to  direct  the  strong,  and 
lead  them  through  all  tlie  labyiinths  and  mazes  with  which 
their  path  may  be  beset.  When  a  minister  has  gone  with  a 
church  as  far  as  his  experience  in  spiritual  exercise  goes,  there 
he  stops  ;  and  until  he  has  a  renewed  experience",  imtil  he  is 
reconverted,  his  heart  broken  up  afresh,  and  he  set  forward 
in  the  divine  life  and  Christian  experience,  he  will  help  them 
no  more.  He  may  preach  sound  doctrine,  and  so  may  an  un- 
converted minister ;  but,  after  all,  his  preaching  mil  want 
that  searching  pungency,  that  practical  bearing,  that  unction 
wliich  alone  will  reach  the  case  of  a  spiritually-minded 
Christian.  It  is  a  fact  over  which  the  church  is  groaning, 
that  the  piety  of  young  men  suffers  so  much  in  the  course  of 
their  education,  that  when  they  enter  the  ministry,  however 
much  intellectual  furniture  they  may  possess,  they  are  in  a 
state  of  spiritual  babyhood.  They  want  nursing,  and  need 
rather  to  be  fed,  than  to  undertake  to  feed  the  Church  of 
God. 

5.  If  you  have  much  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  you  must  make 
up  your  mind  to  have  much  opposition,  both  in  the  church 
and  the  world-  Very  likely  the  leading  men  in  the  chui'ch 
will  oppose  you.  There  has  always  been  opposition  in  the 
church-  So  it  was  when  Christ  was  on  earth-  If  you  are  far 
ftbove  their  state  of  feeling,  church  members  will  oppose  you- 
If  any  man  will  Hve  godly  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  must  expect 
persecution.  Often  the  elders,  and  even  the  minister,  will 
oppose  you,  if  you  are  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God- 

6.  You  must  expect  very  frequent  and  agonizing  conflicts 
with  Satan.  Satan  has  very  Uttle  trouble  with  those  Chris- 
tians who  are  not  spii'itual,  but  lukewarm,  and  slothful,  and 
worldly-minded-  And  such  do  not  understand  what  is  said 
about  spiritual  conflicts.  Perhaps  they  will  smile  when  such 
things  are  mentionetL  And  so  the  devil  lets  them  alone. 
They  don't  disturb  him,  nor  he  them.  But  spiritual  Chris- 
tians, he  understands  very  well,  are  doing  him  a  vast  injury, 
and,  therefore,  he  sets  himself  against  them.  Such  Christians 
often  have  terrible  conflicts.  They  have  temptations  that 
they  never  thought  of  before,  bla.sphemous  thoughts,  atheism, 
aruggestions  to  do  deeds  of  wickedness,  to  destroy  their  own 
lives,  and  the  hke.  And  if  you  are  spiritual,  you  may  expect 
these  terrible  conflicts. 

7.  "You  will  have  greater  conflicts  with  yourself  than  you 
ever  thought  of.  You  wiU  sometimes  find  your  own  corrup 
kions  mHtniig  strange  headway  against  the  Spirit    "  The  fleab 


112  BE    FILIJJD    WITH    THE    SPIRIT. 

lusteth  against  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh." 
Such  a  Christian  is  often  thrown  into  consternation  at  the 
power  of  his  own  corruptions.  One  of  the  Commodores  in  the 
United  States  was,  as  I  have  been  toki,  a  spiritual  man  ;  and 
his  pastor  t^ld  me  he  had  known  that  man  he  on  the  floor  and 
groan  a  great  part  of  the  night,  in  conihct  with  his  own 
corruptions,  and  to  cry  to  God  in  agony  that  he  would 
break  the  power  of  the  temptation.  It  seemed  as  if  the  devil 
was  detei-mined  to  ruin  him  ;  and  his  own  feelings,  for  the 
time  being,  were  almost  in  league  with  the  devil 
/  8.  But  you  will  have  peace  with  God.  If  the  church,  and 
sinners,  and  the  devil  oppose  you,  there  will  be  one  with 
whom  you  wiU  have  peace.  Let  those  who  are  called  to  these 
trials,  and  conflicts,  and  temptations,  and  who  gi-oan,  and 
pray,  and  weep,  and  break  your  hearts,  remember  this  con- 
sideration :  your  peace,  so  far  as  your  feelings  towards  God 
are  concerned,  will  flow  hke  a  river. 

9.  You  win  hkewise  have  peace  of  conscience,  if  you  are 
led  by  the  Spuit.  You  will  not  be  constantly  goaded  and 
kept  on  the  rack  hy  a  guilty  conscience.  Your  conscience 
will  be  calm  and  quiet,  unruffled  as  the  summer's  lake. 

10.  If  filled  with  the  Spuit,  you  wih  be  useful  You  cannot 
help  being  useful.  Even  if  you  were  sick  and  unable  to  go 
out  of  your  room,  or  to  converse,  and  saw  nobody,  you  would 
be  ten  times  more  useful  than  a  himdi-ed  of  those  common 
sort  of  Christians  who  have  no  spuituality.  To  give  you  an 
idea  of  this,  I  will  relate  an  anecdote.  A  pious  man  in  the 
Western  part  of  this  State  was  sick  with  a  consumption.  He 
was  a  poor  man,  and  sick  for  years.  An  imconverted  mer- 
chant in  the  place  had  a  kind  heart,  and  used  to  send  him 
now  and  then  something  for  his  comfort,  or  for  his  family. 
He  felt  gi-ateful  for  the  kindness,  but  could  make  no  return, 
as  he  wanted  to  do.  At  length  he  determined  that  the  best 
return  he  could  make  would  be  to  pray  for  his  salvation  ;  he 
began  to  pray,  and  his  soul  kindled,  and  he  got  hold  of  God. 
There  was  no  revival  there,  but  by  and  by,  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  every  body,  this  merchant  came  right  out  on  the 
Lord's  sida  The  fire  kindled  all  over  the  place,  and  a  pow- 
erful revival  followed,  and  multitudes  were  converted. 

This  poor  man  lingered  in  this  way  for  several  years,  and 
died.  After  his  death,  I  visited  the  place,  and  his  widow 
put  into  my  hands  his  diary.  Among  other  things,  he  says 
in  his  diaiy  :  "  I  am  acquainted  with  about  tlih'ty  ministers 
and  churches."  He  then  goes  on  to  set  apart  certain  hours 
in  the  day    and  week  to  pray  for  each  of    these    mi-nisteri' 


BK    FILLED    WITH    THB    SPIRIT.  Ill 

and  churches,    and   also    certain   seasons   for  praying  far 

the  different  missiouary  stations.  Then  followed,  under 
different  dates,  such  facts  as  these  :  "  To-day,"  naming  the 
date,  "I  have  been  enabled  to  offer  what  I  call  the  prayer  of 

faith  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  on church,  and 

I  trust  in  God  there  will  soon  be  a  revival  there.  *'  Under 
another  date,  "  I  have  to-day  been  able  to  offer  what  I  call 
the  prayer  of  faith  for  such  a  church,  and  trust  there  will 
soon  be"  a  revival  there."  Thus  he  had  gone  over  a  great  num- 
ber of  chiu'cKes,  recording  the  fact  that  he  had  prayed  for 
them  in  faith  that  a  revival  might  soon  prevail  among  them. 
Of  the  missionary  stations,  if  I  recollect  right,  he  mentions 
in  particular  the  mission  at  Ceylon.  I  beheve  the  last  place 
mentioned  in  his  diary,  for  which  he  offered  the  prayer  of 
faith,  was  the  place  in  which  he  lived.  Not  long  after  noting 
these  facts  in  his  diary,  the  revival  commenced,  and  went  over 
the  region  of  country,  nearly,  I  beheve,  if  not  quite,  in  the 
order  in  which  they  had  been  mentioned  in  his  diai*y  ;  and  in 
due  time  news  came  from  Ceylon  that  there  was  a  revival  of 
rehgion  there.  The  revival  in  his  own  town  did  not  com- 
mence till  after  his  death.  Its  commencement  was  at  the 
time  when  his  widow  put  into  my  hands  the  document  to 
which  I  have  refeiTcd.  She  told  me  that  he  was  so  exercised 
in  prayer  dm'iag  his  sickness  that  she  often  feared  he  would 
pray  himself  to  death.  The  re\aval  was  exceedingly  great  \ 
and  powerful  in  all  the  region  ;  and  the  fact  that  it  was  about  i 
to  prevail  had  not  been  hidden  fi'om  this  servant  of  the  Lord. 
According  to  his  word,  the  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them 
that  fear  him.  Thus  this  man,  too  feeble  in  his  body  to  go 
out  of  his  house,  was  yet  more  useful  to  the  world  and  the 
church  of  God  than  all  the  heartless  professors  of  the  coun- 
try. Standing  between  God  and  the  desolations  of  Zion, 
and  pouring  out  his  heart  ia  beheving  prayer,  as  a  prince  he 
had  power  with  God,  and  prevailed. 

11.  If  you  are  filled  with  the  Spirit,  you  will  not  find  your- 
selves distressed,  and  galled,  and  worried,  when  people  speak 
agaiast  you.  When  I  find  people  irritated  and  fretting  at  any 
little  thing  that  touches  Uiem,  I  am  sure  they  have  not  the 
Spirit  of  Christ.  Jesus  Christ  .-ould  have  everything  said 
against  him  that  mahce  could  uivent,  and  yet  not  be  in  the 
least  distm-bed  by  it.  If  you  mean  to  be  meek  under  perse- 
cution, and  exemplify  the  temper  of  the  Saviour,  and  honor 
religion  ia  this  way,  you  need  to  be  filled  with  the  Spirit 

12.  You  will  be  wise  ia  using  means  for  the  conversion  of 
■Lnners.     If  the  Spirit  of  God  is  in  you,  he  will  lead  you  t« 


114  BE    FIIXED   WITH   THB   BPLBIT. 

use  means  wisely,  in  a  way  adapted  to  the  end,  and  to  avoid 
doing  hurt  No  man  wlio  is  not  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God, 
is  fit  to  be  employed  in  directiag  the  measures  adopted  in  a 
revival  Their  hands  will  be  all  thumbs,  unable  to  take  hold, 
and  they  will  act  as  if  they  had  not  common  sense.  But  a 
man  who  is  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  will  know  to  time  his 
measures  right,  and  how  to  apportion  Divine  truth,  so  as  to 
make  it  teU  to  the  best  advantage. 

13.  You  wiQ  be  calm  under  affliction  ;  not  thrown  into  con- 
fusion or  consternation  when  you  see  the  storm  coming  over 
you.  People  aroimd  will  be  astonished  at  your  calmness  and 
cheerfulness  under  heavy  trials,  not  knowing  the  inward  sup- 
ports of  those  who  are  filled  with  the  Spmt. 

14  You  wiU  be  resigned  in  death ;  you  vnll  always  feel 
prepared  to  die,  and  not  afraid  to  die,  and  after  death  you  will 
be  proportionally  more  happy  for  ever  in  heaven. 

VL  Consequences  of  not  being  filled  with  the  Spirit 

1.  You  will  often  doubt,  and  reasonably  doubt,  whether  yon 
are  CJhristians.  You  will  have  doubts,  and  you  ought  to  have 
them.  The  sons  of  God  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  And 
if  you  are  not  led  by  the  Spirit  what  reason  have  you  to  think 
you  are  sons  ?  You  will  try  to  make  a  httle  evidence  go  a 
great  way  to  bolster  up  your  hopes,  but  you  cannot  do  it,  un- 
less your  conscience  is  seared  as  with  a  hot  iron.  You  cannot 
help  beiag  plunged  often  into  painful  doubt  and  uncertainty 
about  your  state.  Rom.  viiL  9. — "  But  ye  are  not  iu  the  flesh, 
but  iu  the  Spirit,  if  so  be  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwell  ia  you. 
Now,  if  any  man  have  not  the  Sphit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of 
his."  2.  Cor.  xiii  5. — "Examiae  yourselves  whether  ye  be  in 
the  faith ;  prove  your  own  selves  :  know  ye  not  your  own 
selves,  how  that  Jesus  Christ  is  ia  you,  except  ye  be  repro- 
bates?" 

2.  You  wiQ  always  be  unsettled  in  your  views  about  the 
prayer  of  faith.  The  prayer  of  faith  is  somethiug  so  spiritual, 
so  much  a  matter  of  experience  and  not  of  speculation,  that 
unless  you  £ire  spiritual  yourselves,  you  will  not  understand  it 
fully.  You  may  talk  a  great  deal  about  the  prayer  of  faith, 
and  for  the  time  get  thoroughly  convinced  of  it  But  you 
will  never  feel  so  settled  on  it  as  to  retain  the  same  position 
of  mind  concerning  it,  and  in  a  httle  while  you  will  be  all  un- 
certaiaty.  I  knew  a  curious  instance  in  a  brother  minister. 
He  told  me,  "  When  I  have  the  Spiiit  of  God,  and  enjoy  his 
presence,  I  believe  fiiinly  in  the  prayer  of  faith  ;  but  when  I 
have  it  not,  I  find  myself  doubting  whether  there  i«  any  such 
thing,  and  my  mind  offering  objections/'  I  know^  from  my 


BE    FILLED   WITH   THE    SPIBIT.  Ill 

own  experience,  what  this  is,  and  when  I  hear  persons  raising 
objections  to  that  view  of  prayer  which  I  have  presented  in 
these  lectures,  I  understand  very  well  what  their  difficulty  is, 
and  have  often  found  it  impossible  to  satisfy  their  minds, 
while  so  far  from  God ;  when  at  the  same  time  they  would 
understand  it  themselves,  without  argument,  whenever  they 
had  experienced  it 

3.  If  you  have  not  the  Spirit,  you  will  be  very  apt  to  stum- 
ble at  those  who  hava  You  will  doubt  the  propriety  of  their 
conduct  If  they  seem  to  feel  a  good  deal  more  than  your- 
self, you  will  be  likely  to  call  it  animal  feeling.  You  will 
perhaps  doubt  tlieir  sincerity  when  they  say  they  have 
such  feelings.  You  will  say,  "I  do  not  know  what  to  make 
of  brother  such-aone  ;  he  seems  to  be  very  pious,  but  I  do 
not  understand  him,  I  think  he  has  a  great  deal  of  animal 
feeling."  Thus  you  will  be  trying  to  censui^  them,  for  the  / 
purpose  of  justifying  yourself. 

4.  You  will  be  had  in  reputation  with  the  impenitent,  and 
with  carnal  professora  They  will  praise  you,  as  a  rational, 
orthodox,  consistent  Christian.  You  will  be  just  in  the  frame 
of  mind  to  waJk  with  them,  because  you  are  agreed. 

5.  You  will  be  much  troubled  with  fears  about  fanaticism. 
Whenever  there  are  revivals,  you  wLU  see  in  them  a  strong 
tendency  to  fanaticism,  and  will  be  fuU  of  fears  and  anxiety, 
or  rather  of  opposition  to  them. 

6.  You  will  be  much  disturbed  by  the  measures  that  are 
used  in  revivals.  If  any  measures  are  adopted,  that  are  de- 
cided and  direct,  you  will  think  they  are  all  "  new,"  and  will 
be  stumbled  at  them  just  in  proportion  to  your  want  of  spir- 
ituality. You  do  not  see  their  appropriateness.  You  will 
stand  and  cavil  at  the  measures,  because  you  are  so  blind  that 
you  cannot  see  their  adaptedness,  while  aU  heaven  is  rejoicv 
ing  in  them  as  the  means  of  saving  soula 

7.  You  wiQ  be  a  reproach  to  rehgion.  The  impenitent 
win  sometimes  praise  you  because  you  are  so  much  like  them- 
selves, and  sometimes  laugh  about  you  because  you  are  such 
a  hypocrita 

8.  You  will  know  but  little  about  the  Bible. 

9.  If  you  die  without  the  Spirit,  you  will  fall  into  helL 
There  can  be  no  doubt  of  this.  Without  the  Spirit  you  wilJ 
never  be  prepared  for  heaven.       *\ 

BEMAJ&ES. 

1.  Christians  are  as  guilty  for  not  having  the  Spirit,  a^  ea^ 
ners  are  for  not  repentms. 


119  BB    FTLLED   WITH   THE    SPIRIT. 

2.  They  are  even  more  so.  As  they  have  more  light,  they 
are  so  much  the  more  guilty. 

3.  Ail  beings  have  a  right  to  complain  of  Cliiistians  who 
are  not  filled  with  the  Spirit.  You  are  not  doing  work  for 
God,  and  he  has  a  right  to  complain.  He  has  placed  his 
Sphit  at  your  (hsposal,  and  if  you  have  it  not,  he  has  a  right 
to  look  to  you  and  to  hold  you  responsible  for  all  the  good 
you  might  do,  did  you  possess  it  You  are  sinning  against  all 
heaven,  for  you  ought  to  be  adding  to  their  happy  ranks. 
Sinners,  the  church,  ministers,  have  a  right  to  complain. 

4.  You  are  right  in  the  way  of  the  work  of  the  Lord.  It 
is  in  vain  for  a  minister  to  try  to  work  over  your  head.  Min- 
isters often  groan  and  struggle,  and  wear  themselves  out  in 
vain,  trying  to  do  good  where  there  is  a  church  who  live  so 
that  they  do  not  have  the  Spirit  of  God.  If  the  Spirit  is 
poured  out  at  any  time,  the  church  wiU  grieve  him  right 
away.  Thus  you  may  tie  the  hands  and  break  the  heart  of 
your  minister,  and  break  him  down,  and  perhaps  kill  him, 
because  you  will  not  be  filled  with  the  Spirit 

6.  You  see  the  reason  why  Christians  need  the  Spirit,  and 
the  degree  of  their  dependence.  This  cannot  be  too  strongly 
exhibited. 

6.  Do  not  tempt  God,  by  waiting  for  his  Spirit,  while  using 
no  means  to  procure  his  presence. 

7.  If  you  mean  to  have  the  Spirit,  you  must  be  childlike, 
and  yield  to  his  influences — ^just  as  yielding  as  air.  If  he  is 
drawing  you  to  prayer,  you  must  quit  everjiJiing  to  yield  to 
his  gentle  strivings.  ^Bfo  doubt  you  have  sometimes  felt  a 
desire  to  pray  for  some  object,  and  you  have  put  it  off  and 
resisted,  and  God  left  you.  If  you  wish  him  to  remain,  you 
must  yield  to  his  softest  and  gentlest  motions,  and  watch  to  learn 
what  he  would  have  you  do,  and  yield  yourself  up  to  his  guidance. 

8.  Christians  ought  to  be  willing  to  make  any  sacrifice  to 
enjoy  the  presence  of  the  Spirit  Said  a  woman  in  high  life, 
a  professor  of  religion,  "  I  must  either  give  up  hearing  such  a 
minister  (naming  him)  preach,  or  I  must  give  up  my  gay  com- 
pany." She  gave  up  the  preaching  and  staid  away.  How 
diiierent  from  another  case  1 

A  woman  in  the  same  rank  of  life  heard  the  same  minister 
preach,  and  went  home  resolved  to  abandon  her  gay  and 
worldly  manner  of  hfe — dismissed  most  of  her  attendants — 
changed  her  whole  mode  of  dress,  of  equipage,  of  living,  and 
of  conversation  ;  so  that  her  gay  and  worldly  friends  were 
soon  willing  to  leave  her  to  the  enjoyment  of  communion  with 
God.  and  free  to  spend  her  time  in  doing  good. 


BK    FILLED    WITH    THE    SPIRIT.  lit 

9.  You  see  from  this,  that  it  must  be  very  difficult  for  thoee 
in  fashionable  hf e  to  go  to  heaven.  What  a  calamity  to  be 
in  such  circles  1  Who  can  enjoy  the  presence  of  God  in 
them? 

10.  See  how  crazy  those  are  who  are  scrambling  to  get  up 
to  these  circles,  enlarging  their  houses,  changing  their  style  of 
living,  furniture,  etc  It  is  Hke  dimbing  up  mast-head  to  be 
thi'o^Ti  off  into  the  ocean.  To  enjoy  God,  you  must  come 
down,  not  go  up  there.  God  is  not  there,  among  all  the  starch 
ftnd  flattery  of  high  hfa 

11.  Many  professors  of  religion  are  as  ignorant  of  spiritual- 
ity as  Nicodemus  was  of  the  new  birth.  They  are  ignorant, 
and  I  fear  unconverted.  If  any  body  talks  to  them  about  the 
spirit  of  prayer,  it  is  all  algebra  to  them.  The  case  of  such 
professors  is  awfuL  How  different  was  the  character  of  the 
apostles !  Read  the  history  of  their  lives,  read  their  letters, 
and  you  will  see  that  they  were  always  spiritual,  and  walked 
dailj'  with  God.  But  now  how  httle  is  there  of  such  religion  I 
"\Vhen  the  Son  of  Man  cometh,  wiU  he  find  faith  on  the 
eai'th  ?  "  Set  some  of  these  professors  to  work  in  a  revival, 
and  they  do  not  know  what  to  do,  have  no  energy,  no  sldU,  and 
make  no  impression.  When  will  professors  of  religion  set 
themselves  to  work,  filled  with  the  Spirit  ?  If  I  could  see  this 
church  filled  with  the  Spuit,  I  would  ask  nothing  more  to 
move  this  whole  mighty  mass  of  minds.  Not  two  weeks  wo^d 
pass  before  the  revival  would  spread  all  over  this  dty. 


LECTURE    VIII. 

MEETmaS  FOB  PRAYEB. 

IPbxt.— "Again  I  say  onto  you,  That  If  two  of  you  ehall  agree  on  earth  ae  tonctuii 
any  thing  that  they  ehall  ask,  It  shall  be  done  for  them  of  my  Father  which  is  is 
heaven."— Matthew  xviii.  10. 

Hitherto,  in  treating  of  the  subject  of  Prayer,  I  have  con- 
fined my  remarks  to  secret  prayer.  I  am  now  to  speak  of 
social  prayer,  or  prayer  offered  in  company,  where  two  or 
more  are  united  in  praying.  Such  meetings  have  been  com- 
mon from  the  time  of  Christ,  and  even  hundreds  of  years 
before.  And  it  is  probable  that  God's  people  have  always 
been  in  the  habit  of  making  united  suppHcation,  whenever 
they  had  the  privilege.  The  propriety  of  the  practice  wiU  not 
be  questioned  here.  I  need  not  dwell  now  on  the  duty  of 
social  prayer.  Nor  is  it  my  design  to  discuss  the  question, 
whether  any  two  Christians  agreeing  to  ask  any  blessing,  will 
be  sure  to  obtain  it     My  object  is  to  make  some  remarks  on 

MEETINGS   FOB   PRAYER. 

L  The  design  of  Prayer  Meetings. 
n.  The  mann.er  of  conducting  them. 

nX  Mention  several  things  tiiat  will  defeat  the  design  of 
holding  them. 

L    THE   DESIGN    OF    PRAYER    MEETINGS. 

1.  One  design  of  assembling  several  persons  together  for 
united  prayer,  is  to  promote  union  among  Christians.  Noth- 
ing tends  more  to  cement  the  hearts  of  Christians  than  pray- 
ing together.  Never  do  they  love  one  another  so  well  as  when 
they  witness  tlie  outpouiing  of  each  other's  hearts  in  prayer. 
Their  spirituality  begets  a  feeling  of  union  and  confidence^ 
highly  important  to  the  prosperity  of  the  church.  It  is 
doubtful  whether  Chiistians  can  ever  be  otherwise  than 
united,  if  they  are  in  the  habit  of  really  praying  together 
And  where  they  have  had  hard  feelings  and  differences 
among   themselves,  they  are  all  done  away,  by  uniting  in 

(.1  IKi 


MEETINO§   POB   PBATEB.  119 

prayer.  The  great  object  is  gained,  if  you  can  bring  them 
reaUy  to  unite  in  prayer.  If  this  can  be  done,  the  difficulties 
vanish. 

2.  To  extend  the  spirit  of  prayer.  God  has  so  constituted 
us,  and  such  is  the  economy  of  his  grace,  that  we  are  sympa- 
thetic beiogs,  and  communicate  our  feehngs  to  each  other. 
A  minister,  for  instance,  will  often  as  it  were  breathe  his  own 
feelings  into  his  congregation.  The  Spirit  of  God  that  in 
spires  his  soul,  makes  use  of  hia  feelings  to  influence  his  hear- 
ers, just  as  much  as  he  makes  use  of  the  words  he  preaches. 
So  he  makes  use  of  the  feelings  of  Christians.  Nothing  is 
more  calculated  to  beget  a  spirit  of  prayer,  than  to  unite  in 
social  prayer,  with  one  who  has  the  spirit  himself ;  unless 
this  one  should  be  so  far  ahead  that  his  prayer  will  repel  the 
rest.  His  prayer  will  awaken  them,  if  they  are  not  so  far  be- 
hind as  to  revolt  at  it  and  resist  it.  If  they  are  anywhere 
near  the  standard  of  his  feelings,  his  spirit  will  kindle,  and 
bum,  and  spread  all  around.  One  individual  in  a  church,  that 
obtains  a  spirit  of  prayer,  will  often  arouse  a  whole  church, 
and  extend  the  same  spirit  through  the  whole,  and  a  general 
revival  follows. 

3.  Another  grand  design  of  social  prayer,  is  to  move  God. 
Not  that  it  changes  the  mind  and  feelings  of  God.  When 
we  speak  of  moving  God,  as  I  have  said  in  a  former  lecture, 
we  do  not  mean  Siat  it  alters  the  will  of  God.  But  when 
the  right  kind  of  prayer  is  offered  by  Christians,  they  are  in 
such  a  state  of  mind,  that  it  becomes  proper  for  God  to 
bestow  a  blessing.  They  ai-e  then  prepared  to  receive  it, 
and  he  gives  because  he  is  always  the  same,  and  always 
ready  and  happy  to  show  mercy.  When  Christians  are 
united,  and  praying  as  they  ought,  God  opens  the  windows 
of  heaven,  and  pours  out  h5s  blessings  till  there  is  not  room 
to  receive  them. 

4.  Another  important  design  of  prayer  meetings  is  the  oonr 
victum  and  conversion  of  sinners.  When  properly  conducted, 
they  are  eminently  calculated  to  produce  this  effect.  Sinners 
are  apt  to  be  solemn  when  they  hear  Christians  pray.  Where 
there  is  a  spirit  of  prayer,  sinners  must  feel  An  ungodly 
man,  a  UniversaHst,  once  said  respecting  a  certain  minister, 
"  I  can  bear  his  preaching  very  well,  but  when  he  prays,  I  feel 
awfully  ;  I  feel  as  if  God  was  coming  down  upon  me."  Sin- 
ners are  often  convicted  by  heaiing  prayer.  A  young  man 
of  distinguished  talents,  known  to  many  of  you,  said  concemf 
ing  a  certain  minister  to  whom  before  his  conversion  he  had 
b^en  very  much  opposed,  "  As  soon  as  he  began  to  pray,  I 


ISO  MEETINGS    FOB   PBAYBB. 

began  to  be  convicted,  and  if  he  had  continued  to  pray  mnoh 
longer,  I  should  not  have  been  able  to  contain  mysell"  Just 
as  soon  as  Chi-istians  begin  to  pray  as  they  ought,  sinners 
then  know  that  they  pray,  and  they  feel  awfully.  They  do 
not  understand  what  spuituality  is,  because  they  have  no  ex- 
perience of  it.  But  when  such  prayer  is  offered,  they  know 
there  is  something  in  it ;  they  know  God  is  in  it,  and  it 
brings  them  near  to  God  ;  it  makes  them  feel  awfully  sol- 
emn, and  they  cannot  bear  it.  And  not  only  is  it  calculated 
to  impress  the  minds  of  sinners,  but  when  Christians  pray  in 
faith,  the  Spirit  of  God  is  poui-ed  out,  and  sinners  are  melted 
down  and  converted  on  the  spot. 

n.     THE   MANNER   OF   CONDUCTINa   PRiYEB   MEBTINaS. 

1.  It  is  often  well  to  open  a  prayer  meeting  by  reading  a 
short  portion  of  the  word  of  God  ;  especially  if  the  person 
who  takes  the  lead  of  the  meetuig,  can  call  to  mind  any  por- 
tion that  will  be  applicable  to  the  object  or  occasion,  and  that 
is  impressive,  and  to  the  point.  If  he  has  no  passage  that  is 
appUcable,  he  had  better  not  read  any  at  all.  Do  not  di^ag  in 
the  word  of  God  to  make  up  part  of  the  meeting  as  a  mere 
matter  of  form.  This  is  an  insult  to  God.  It  is  not  weU  to 
read  any  more  than  is  applicable  to  the  subject  before  the 
meeting,  or  the  occasion.  Some  people  think  it  always  nec- 
essary to  read  a  whole  chapter,  though  it  may  be  ever  so 
long,  and  have  a  variety  of  subjects.  It  is  just  as  impressive 
and  judicious  to  read  a  whole  chapter,  as  it  would  be  for  a 
minister  to  take  a  whole  chapter  for  his  text,  when  his  object 
was  to  make  some  pai*ticular  truth  bear  on  the  minds  of 
his  audience.  The  design  of  a  prayer  meeting  should  be 
to  bring  Chiistians  to  the  point  to  pray  for  a  definite  object. 
Wandering  over  a  large  field,  hinders  and  destroys  this 
design. 

2.  It  is  proper  that  the  person  who  leads  should  make 
some  short  and  appropiiate  remarks,  calculated  to  explain 
the  nature  of  prayer,  and  the  encouragements  we  have  to 
pray,  and  to  bring  the  object  to  be  prayed  for  directly  before  the 
minds  of  the  people. 

A  man  can  no  more  pray  without  having  his  tlioughts  con- 
centrated, than  he  can  do  anything  else.  The  person  lead- 
ing, should  therefore  see  to  this,  by  bringing  up  before  their 
minds  the  object  they  came  to  pray  for.  If  they  came  to 
pray  for  any  object  he  can  do  this.  And  if  they  did  not,  they 
had  better  go  home.     It  is  of  no  use  to  stay  there  and  mock 


MEETINGS    FOB   PRATEB.  Itl 

Gk)d,  by  pretending  to  pray,  when  they  have  nothing  on  earth 
to  pray  for. 

After  stating  the  object,  he  should  bring  up  some  promise 
or  some  principle,  as  the  ground  of  encoiu-agemeiit  to  expect 
an  answer  to  their  prayers.  If  there  is  any  in(h cation  of 
Providence,  or  any  promise,  or  any  principle  in  the  Divine 
government  that  alibrds  a  gi'ound  of  faith,  let  him  call  it  to 
mind,  and  not  let  them  be  talking  out  of  theu*  own  hearts  at 
random,  without  knowing  any  solid  reason  to  expect  an  au'- 
Bwer.  One  reason  why  prayer  meetings  mostly  accomplish 
so  little,  is  because  there  is  so  httle  common  sense  exercised 
about  them.  Instead  of  looking  round  for  some  sohd  footing 
on  which  to  repose  their  faith,  they  just  come  together  and 
pour  forth  their  ivords,  and  neither  know  nor  cai-e  whether 
they  have  any  reason  to  expect  an  answer.  If  they  are  going 
to  pray  about  anything  concerning  which  there  can  be  any 
doubt  or  any  mistake,  in  regard  to  the  gromid  of  faith, 
they  should  be  shown  the  reason  there  is  for  beheving  that 
their  prayers  will  be  heard  and  answered.  It  is  easy  to  see, 
that  unless  something  lilie  this  is  done,  three-fourths  of 
them  will  have  no  idea  of  what  they  are  doing,  or  of  the 
gi'ound  on  which  they  should  expect  to  receive  what  they 
pray  for. 

3.  In  calling  on  persons  to  pray,  it  is  always  desirable  to  let 
things  take  their  own  course  wherever  it  is  safe.  If  it  can  be 
left  so  with  safety,  let  those  pray  who  are  most  inclined  to 
pray.  It  sometimes  happens  that  even  those  who  are  ordina- 
rily the  most  spiritual,  and  most  proper  to  be  called  on,  are 
not  at  the  time  in  a  suitable  fi-ame  ;  they  may  be  cold  and 
worldly,  and  only  freeze  the  meeting.  But  if  you  let  those 
pray  who  desire  to  pray,  you  avoid  this.  But  often  this  can- 
not be  done  with  safety,  esj^ecially  in  large  cities,  where  a 
prayer  meeting  might  be  liable  to  be  iaterrupted  by  those  who 
nave  no  busiaess  to  pray  ;  some  fanatic  or  crazy  person,  some 
hypociite  or  enemy,  who  would  only  make  a  noise.  In  most 
places,  however,  this  course  may  be  taken  with  perfect  safety. 
Give  up  the  meeting  to  the  Spuit  of  God.  Those  who  desire 
to  pray,  let  them  pray.  If  the  leader  sees  any  thing  that 
needs  to  be  set  right,  let  him  remark,  freely  and  kindly,  and 
put  it  right,  and  then  go  on  agam.  Only,  he  should  be  careful 
to  time  liis  remarks,  so  as  not  to  iuterrupt  the  flow  of  feeling,  or 
to  chill  tlie  meeting,  or  turn  ofi'  the  minds  from  the  proper  subject 

i.  If  it  is  necessary  to  name  the  individmds  who  are  to  pray, 
It  is  best  to  call  on  those  w^ho  are  most  spiiitual  first.  And 
if  you  do  not  know  who  they  are,  then  those  whom  you  wouk! 


199  MEETINGS   FOB   PEATBB. 

natorallj  suppose  to  be  most  alive.  If  they  pray  at  the  owl^ 
Bet,  they  will  be  hkely  to  spread  the  spirit  of  prayer  through 
the  meeting,  and  elevate  the  tone  of  the  whole.  Otherwise,  if 
you  call  on  those  who  are  cold  and  lifeless  at  the  beginning, 
they  will  be  likely  to  diffuse  a  chill  throughout  the  meeting. 
The  only  hope  of  having  an  efficient  prayer  meeting  is  when 
at  least  a  part  of  the  church  is  spiritual,  and  they  infuse  theii 
spirit  into  the  rest.  This  is  the  very  reason  why  it  is  often 
best  to  let  things  take  their  course,  for  then  those  who  have 
the  most  feeling  are  apt  to  pray  first,  and  give  chajracter  to 
the  meeting. 

5.  The  prayers  should  always  be  very  short  "When  individ- 
uals suffer  themselves  to  pray  long,  they  forget  where  they 
are,  that  they  are  only  the  mouth  of  the  congregation,  and  that 
the  congregation  cannot  be  expected  to  sympathise  with  them, 
so  as  to  go  along  and  feel  united  in  prayer,  if  they  are  long 
and  tedious,  and  go  all  around  the  world  and  pray  for  every 
thing  they  can  think  ot  Commonly,  those  who  pray  long  in 
meeting,  do  it  not  because  they  have  the  spirit  of  prayer,  but 
because  they  have  not.  And  they  go  round  and  round,  not 
because  they  are  full  of  prayer.  Some  men  will  spin  out  a 
long  prayer  in  telling  God  who  and  what  he  is,  or  they  exhort 
God  to  do  so  and  so.  Some  pray  out  a  whole  system  of  di 
vinity.  Some  preach,  some  exhort  the  people,  till  every  body 
wishes  they  would  stop,  and  God  wishes  so  too,  undoubtedly. 
They  should  keep  to  iJbe  point,  and  pray  for  what  they  came 
to  pray  for,  and  not  follow  the  imagination  of  their  own  foolish 
hearts  all  over  the  universe. 

6.  Each  one  should  pray  for  some  one  object.  It  is  well  for 
every  individual  to  have  one  object  for  prayer  :  two  or  more 
may  pray  for  the  same  thing,  or  each  a  separate  object.  If 
the  meeting  is  convened  to  pray  for  some  specific  thing,  let 
them  aU  pray  for  thai  If  its  object  is  more  general,  let  them 
select  their  subjects,  according  as  they  feel  interested  in  them. 
If  one  feels  particularly  disposed  to  pray  for  the  church,  let 
him  do  it  If  the  next  feels  disposed  to  pray  for  the  church, 
he  may  do  so  too.  Perhaps  the  next  wiU  feel  inclined  to  pray 
for  sinners  ;  for  the  youth  ;  to  confess  sin  ;  let  him  do  it,  and 
as  soon  as  he  has  got  through  let  him  stop.  Whenever  a  man 
has  deep  feehng,  he  always  feels  on  some  particular  pointy 
and  if  he  prays  for  that  he  will  speak  out  of  the  abundance  of 
his  heart,  and  then  he  wiU  naturally  stop  when  he  is  done. 
Those  who  feel  most,  will  be  most  ready  to  confine  their 
prayers  to  that  point,  and  stop  when  they  have  done  and  no4 
pray  all  over  the  world 


IfEETLN^GS   FOB  PBAYBB.  ISS 

7.  If  in  the  progress  of  the  meeting  it  becomes  necoBsary  to 
change  the  object  of  prayer,  let  the  man  who  leads  state  the 
fact,  and  explain  it  in  a  few  words.  K  the  object  is  to  pray 
for  the  church,  or  for  backsliders,  or  sinners,  or  the  heatiien, 
let  him  state  it  plainly,  and  then  turn  it  over  and  hold  it  up 
before  them  till  he  brings  them  to  think  and  feel  deeply  be- 
fore they  pray.  Then  state  to  them  the  grounds  on  which 
they  may  repose  their  faith  in  regard  to  obtaining  the  bless- 
ings they  pray  for,  if  any  such  statement  is  needed,  and  so 
lead  them  right  up  to  the  throne,  and  let  them  take  hold  of 
the  hand  of  God.  This  is  stccording  to  the  philosophy  of  the 
mind  People  always  do  it  for  themselves  when  they  pray  in 
secret,  if  they  really  mean  to  pray  to  any  purpose.  And  so  it 
should  be  in  prayer  meetings. 

8.  It  is  important  that  the  time  shovld  hefuUy  occupied,  so 
as  not  to  leave  long  seasons  of  silence.  This  always  makes  a 
bad  impression  and  chills  the  meeting.  I  know  that  some- 
times churches  have  seasons  of  silent  prayer.  But  in  those 
cases  they  should  be  specially  requested  to  pray  in  silence,  so 
that  all  may  know  why  they  are  sileni  This  often  has  a 
most  powerful  effect,  where  a  few  moments  are  spent  by  a 
whole  congregation  in  silence,  while  all  lift  up  their  thoughts 
to  God.  This  is  very  different  from  having  long  intervals  of 
silence  because  there  is  nobody  to  pray.  Every  one  feels  that 
such  a  silence  is  hke  the  cold  damp  of  death  over  the  meeting. 

9.  It  is  exceedingly  important  that  he  who  leads  the  meet- 
ing should  press  sinners  who  may  be  present  to  immediate 
repentance.  He  should  crowd  this  hard,  and  urge  the  Chris- 
tians present  to  pray  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  sinners  feel 
that  they  are  expected  to  repent  immediately.  This  tends  to 
inspire  Christians  with  compassion  and  love  for  souls.  The 
remarks  made  to  sinners  are  often  like  pouring  fire  upon  the 
hearts  of  Christians,  to  awaken  them  to  prayer  and  effort  for 
their  conversion.  Let  them  see  and  feel  the  guilt  and  danger 
of  sumers  right  among  them,  and  then  they  will  pray. 

ITT.  I  am  to  mention  several  things  which  may  defeat  the 
design  of  a  prayer  meeting. 

1.  When  there  is  an  unhappy  want  of  confidence  in  the 
leader,  there  is  no  hope  of  any  good.  Whatever  the  cause 
may  be,  whether  he  is  to  blame  or  not,  the  very  ftict  that  he 
leads  the  meeting  will  cast  a  damp  over  it  and  prevent  all 
good.  I  have  witnessed  it  ia  churches,  where  there  was  some 
offensive  elder  or  deacon,  perhaps  justly  offensive,  and  pei> 
haps  not,  set  to  lead  the  prayer  meeting,  and  the  meeting 
would  an  die  under  his  infiuenoe.     If  there  is  a  want  of  oonfi- 


1S4  MEETINGS    FOR   PRArKB. 

dence  in  regard  to  his  piety,  or  in  his  ability,  or  in  his  jnd^ 
meut,  or  in  anything  connected  with  the  meeting,  everything 
he  says  or  does  will  fall  to  the  ground.  The  same  thing  often 
takes  place  where  the  church  have  lost  confidence  in  the  min. 
ister. 

2.  Where  the  leader  lacks  ppiritualihj,  there  will  be  a  dryness 
and  coldness  in  his  remarks  and  prayers,  and  every  thing 
will  indicate  his  want  of  unction,  and  his  whole  influence  will 
be  the  very  reverse  of  what  it  ought  to  be.  I  have  known 
churches  where  a  prayer  meeting  could  not  be  sustained,  and 
the  reason  was  not  obvious,  but  those  who  understood  the 
state  of  things  knew  thn.t  the  leader  was  so  notorious  for  hit 
want  of  spirituality,  that  he  would  inevitably  fi-eeze  a  prayer 
meeting  to  death.  In  many  Presbyterian  churches  the  elders 
are  so  far  from  beiug  spiritual  men  that  they  always  freeze  a 
prayer  meeting.  And  then  they  are  often  amazingly  jealous 
tor  their  dignity,  and  cannot  bear  to  have  any  body  else  lead 
the  meetiug.  And  if  any  member  that  is  spiritual  takes  the 
lead  of  a  prayer  meeting,  they  will  take  him  to  task  for  it : 
"  Why,  you  are  not  an  elder,  and  ought  not  to  lead  a  prayer 
neeting  in  presence  of  an  elder."  Ajid  thus  th{3y  stand  in  the 
way,  while  £he  whole  chui-ch  is  suffering  under  their  blighting 
influence. 

A  man  who  kno^ps  he  is  not  in  a  spiritual  frame  of  mind 
has  no  business  to  conduct  a  prayer  meeting  ;  he  will  Idll  it. 
There  are  two  reasons  :  Fu'st,  he  will  have  no  qyiriiual,  discern- 
ment,  and  will  not  know  what  to  do,  or  when  to  do  it  A  per- 
son who  is  spu-itual  can  see  the  movements  of  Providence, 
and  can  feel  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  understand  what  he  is 
leading  them  to  pray  for,  so  as  to  time  his  subjects,  and  take 
advantage  of  the  state  of  feehng  among  Christians.  He  will 
not  overthrow  all  the  feeling  in  a  meeting  by  introducing  other 
things  that  are  incongruous  or  ill-timed.  He  has  spiritual 
discernment  to  understand  the  leadings  of  the  Spirit,  and  his 
workuigs  in  those  who  pray,  and  to  follow  on  as  the  Spirit 
leads.  Suppose  an  individual  leads  who  is  not  spiritual,  and 
there  are  two  or  three  prayers,  and  the  spirit  of  prayer  rises, 
but  the  leader  has  no  spiritual  discernment  to  see  it,  and  he 
makes  some  remarks  on  another  point,  or  reads  a  piece  out 
of  some  book,  that  is  as  far  from  the  feeling  of  the  meeting  as 
the  north  pole.  It  may  be  just  as  evident  to  others  what  tiiey 
are  called  to  pray  for,  as  if  the  Son  of  God  himself  had  come 
into  the  meeting  and  named  the  subject ;  but  the  leader  will 
overthrow  it  all,  because  he  is  so  stupid  that  he  does  not  know 
the  indications  of  the  meeting. 


MKETTNGS    FOB    PBATEB.  IM 

And  then,  if  the  leader  is  not  spiritual,  he  will  very  likelj 
be  dull  and  dry  in  his  remarks  and  in  all  his  exercises.  He 
will  read  a  long  hymn  in  a  dreamy  manner,  and  then  read  a 
long  passage  of  Scripture,  in  a  tone  oo  cold  and  wintry  that 
he  will  spread  a  wintry  pall  over  the  meeting,  and  it  wiU  be 
dull  as  long  as  his  cold  heart  is  placed  up  in  fi'ont  of  the 
whole  thmg. 

3.  A  wjuit  of  snifaNe  talents  in  the  leader.  If  he  is  wanting 
in  that  kind  of  talents  which  are  fitted  to  make  a  meeting  use- 
ful, he  wiM  injure  the  meetmg.  If  he  can  say  nothing,  or  if 
his  remai-ks  are  so  out  of  the  way  as  to  produce  levity  or  con- 
tempt, or  if  they  have  nothing  in  them  that  will  impress  the 
mind,  or  are  not  guided  by  good  sense,  or  not  appropriate,  he 
will  injui'e  the  meeting.  A  man  may  be  pious,  but  so  weak 
that  his  prayers  do  not  edify,  but  rather  disgust,  tlie  people 
present.     When  this  is  so,  he  had  better  keep  silence. 

4.  Sometimes  the  benefit  of  a  prayer-meeting  is  defeated 
by  a  bad  spirit  in  the  leader.  For  instance  when  there  is  a 
revival,  and  a  great  opposition,  if  a  leader  gets  up  in  a  prayer 
meetmg  and  speaks  of  histances  of  opposition,  and  comments 
upon  them,  and  thus  diverts  the  meeting  away  from  the  ob- 
ject they  come  to  pray  for,  he  knows  not  what  spirit  he  is  ol 
Its  effect  is  always  niinous  to  a  prayer  meeting.  Let  a  min- 
ister in  a  revival  come  out  and  preach  against  the  opposition, 
and  he  will  iufaUibly  destroy  the  revival,  and  tmn  the  hearts 
of  Christians  away  from  their  proper  object.  Let  the  man 
who  is  set  to  lead  the  church  be  cjireful  to  guard  his  own 
spirit,  lest  he  should  mislead  the  chui'ch,  and  difiiise  a  wrong 
temper.  The  same  will  be  true,  if  any  one  who  is  called  upon 
to  speak  or  pray,  uiti'oduces  in  his  remarks  or  prayers  any- 
thing controversiid,  impertinent,  uni-easonable,  miscriptural, 
ridiculous  or  irrelevant  Any  of  these  things  will  quench  tiie  ten- 
der breathings  of  the  spirit  of  prayer,  and  destroy  the  meeting. 

5.  Persons  earning  late  to  the  meeting.  This  is  a  veiy  gi'eat 
hindi-ance  to  a  prayer  meeting.  When  people  have  begun  to 
pray,  and  their  attention  is  fixed,  and  tiiey  have  shut  then*  eyes 
and  closed  their  ears,  to  keep  out  evei-;)'thing  from  their  minds, 
in  the  midst  of  a  prayer  somebody  will  come  bolting  in  and 
walk  up  thi'ough  tlie  room.  Some  will  look  up,  and  all  have 
their  minds  mterru])ted  for  the  moment.  Then  they  all  get 
fixed  again,  and  another  comes  in,  and  so  on.  ^\^ly,  I  sup 
pc«je  the  devil  won]  i  not  care  how  many  Christians  went  to  a 
prayer-meeting,  il  they  will  only  go  after  the  meetijig  is  begun. 
He  would  be  glad  to  have  ever  so  many  go  scAtteriiig  along 
*4o,  and  d^xlging  in  very  piou'^ly  after  the  meeting  is  begun. 


126  MEETINGS    FOK   PEATEB. 

&  When  persons  make  cold  prayers,  and  cold  confeasiont 
of  sin,  they  are  sure  to  quench  the  spirit  of  prayer.  When 
the  influences  of  the  Spirit  are  enjoyed,  in  the  midst  of  the 
warm  expressions  that  are  flowing  forth,  let  an  individual 
come  in  who  is  cold,  and  pour  his  cold  breath  out,  hke  the 
damp  of  death,  and  it  will  make  every  Christian  that  has  any 
feeling  want  to  get  out  of  the  meeting. 

7.  Jn  some  places  it  is  common  to  begin  a  prayer  meeting 
by  reading  a  long  portion  of  Scripture.  Then  the  deacon  or 
elder  gives  out  a  long  hymn.  Next,  they  sing  it  Then  he 
prays  a  long  prayer,  praying  for  the  Jews  and  the  fuUness  of 
the  Gentiles,  and  many  other  objects  that  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  occasion  of  the  meetiog.  After  that  perhaps  he  reads 
a  long  extract  from  some  book  or  magazine.  Then  they  have 
another  long  hynm  and  another  long  prayer,  and  then  they 
go  home.  I  once  heard  an  elder  say,  they  had  kept  up  a 
prayer  meeting  so  many  years,  and  yet  there  had  been  no  re- 
vival in  the  place.  The  truth  was,  that  the  officers  of  the 
church  had  been  accustomed  to  carry  on  the  meetings  in  just 
such  a  dignified  way,  and  their  dignity  would  not  allow  any- 
thing to  be  altered.  No  wonder  there  was  no  revival  Such 
prayer  meetings  are  enough  to  hinder  a  revival.  And  if  ever  so 
many  revivals  should  commence,  the  prayer  meeting  would 
destroy  them.  There  was  a  prayer  meeting  once  in  this  city, 
as  I  have  been  told,  where  there  appeared  to  be  some  feeling, 
and  some  one  proposed  that  they  should  have  two  or  three 
prayers  in  succession,  without  rising  from  their  knees.  One 
dignified  man  present  opposed  it,  and  said  that  they  never 
had  done  so,  and  he  hoped  there  would  be  no  ionovations. 
He  did  not  approve  of  innovatipns.  And  that  was  the  last 
of  the  revival  Such  persons  have  their  prayer  meetings 
stereotyped,  and  they  are  determined  not  to  turn  out  of  their 
track,  whether  they  have  the  blessiog  or  not.  To  allow  any 
such  thing  would  be  a  new  measure,  and  they  never  like  ne'w 
measures. 

8.  A  great  deal  cf  mnging  often  injures  a  prayer  meeting. 
The  agonizing  spirit  cf  prayer  does  not  lead  people  to  sing. 
There  is  a  time  for  everything  ;  a  time  to  sing,  and  a  time  to 
pray.  But  if  I  know  what  it  is  to  travail  in  birth  for  souls, 
Christians  never  feel  less  like  singing,  than  when  they  have  the 
spirit  of  prayer  for  sinners.  Singing  is  the  natiiral  expression 
of  feelings  tiiat  are  joyful  and  cheerful  The  spirit  of  prayer 
is  not  a  spirit  of  joy.  It  is  a  spirit  of  fa-avail,  and  agony  of 
soul,  supplicating  and  pleading  with  God  with  strong  cryings, 
and  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered.    This  is  more  like  as>y^ 


MEKTINOS    FOE    PBAYEB.  lit 

thing  else  than  it  ia  like  singing.  I  have  known  states  of 
feehiig,  where  you  could  not  distreas  the  people  of  God  more 
than  to  begin  to  sing.  It  would  be  so  entirely  different  from 
their  feelings.  Why,  if  you  knew  your  hoase  was  on  fire, 
would  you  first  stop  and  sing  a  hymn  before  you  put  it  out  ? 
How  would  it  look  here  in  New  York,  when  a  biulding  was 
on  tire,  and  the  firemen  are  all  collected,  for  the  foreman  to 
stop  and  sing  a  hymn  ?  It  is  just  about  as  natural  for  the 
peo]ile  to  sing  when  exercised  with  a  spiiit  of  prayer.  When 
people  feel  hke  pulUng  men  out  of  the  fire,  they  do  not  feel 
like  sin-.i-ing.  I  never  knew  a  singing  revival  amount  to  much. 
Its  tendency  is  to  do  away  all  deep  feeling.  It  is  true 
that  singing  a  hynm  has  sometimes  produced  a  powerful 
efiect  upon  tdnners  who  are  convicted,  but  in  general  it  is  the 
perfect  contrast  there  is  between  their  feelings  and  those  of 
the  happy  souls  who  sing  that  produces  the  effect  If  the 
hymn  be  of  a  joyful  character  it  is  not  directly  calculated  to 
benefit  sinners,  and  is  highly  fitted  to  relieve  the  mental  an 
guish  of  the  Christian,  so  as  to  destroy  that  travail  of  soul 
which  is  indispensable  to  his  prevailing  in  prayer. 

AVhen  singing  is  introduced  in  a  prayer-meeting,  the  hymns 
should  be  short,  and  so  selected  as  to  bring  out  something 
solemn  ;  some  striking  words,  such  as  the  Judgment  Hymn, 
and  others  calculated  to  produce  an  efiect  on  siimers  ;  or 
aomething  that  will  produce  a  deep  impression  on  the  mindi 
jii  Chi-istians  ;  but  not  that  joyful  kind  of  singing,  that  makea 
every  body  feel  comfortable,  and  turns  off  the  mind  from  the 
object  of  the  prayer  meeting. 

I  once  heard  a  celebrated  organist  produce  a  remarkable 
effect  in  a  protracted  meeting.  The  organ  was  a  powerful 
one,  and  the  double  bass  pipes  were  like  tiiunder.  The  hymn 
was  given  out  that  has  these  lines  : 

Bee  the  storm  of  vengeance  p^athering 

O'er  the  path  you  dare  to  tread  ; 
**  Hear  the  awful  thunder  rolling, 

Loud  and  louder  o'er  your  head." 

When  he  came  to  these  words,  we  first  heard  the  distant  roar 
of  thimder,  then  it  grew  nearer  and  louder,  till  at  the  word 
"  louder,"  there  was  a  crash  that  seemed  almost  to  overpower 
the  whole  congregation- 
Such  things  in  their  pro|)er  place  do  good  But  common 
singing  dissipates  feehng.  It  should  always  be  sucli  as  not  to 
take  away  feeling,  but  to  deepen  it 

Often  a  prayer  meeting  is  injured  by  caUing  on  the  ycunfl 


ins  MEETEN'OS    FOB   PRATEB,. 

converts  to  siiig  joyful  hymns.  This  is  highly  improper  in  a 
prayer  meeting.  It  is  no  time  for  them  to  let  feeling  flow 
away  in  joyful  singing,  while  so  many  sinners  around  them, 
and  their  own  former  companions,  are  going  down  to  hell 
A  revival  is  often  put  down  by  the  church  and  minister  all 
giving  themselves  up  to  singing  with  young  converts.  Thus 
by  stopj)ing  to  rejoice,  when  they  ought  to  feel  more  and  more 
deeply  for  sinners,  they  grieve  away  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 
they  soon  find  that  their  agony  and  travail  of  soul  are  all  gona 

9.  Introducing  subjects  of  controversy  into  prayer  will  defeat 
a  prayer  meeting.  Nothing  of  a  controversial  nature  should 
be  introduced  into  prayer,  imless  it  is  the  object  of  the  meet- 
ing to  settle  that  thing.  Otherwise,  let  Christians  come  together 
in  their  prayer-meetings,  on  the  broad  ground  of  offering 
united  prayer  for  a  common  object.  And  let  controversies  be 
settled  somewhere  else. 

10.  Great  pains  should  be  taken,  both  by  the  leader  and 
others,  to  wat^h  narrowly  the  motixym  of  the  Sf[drU  of  God.  Let 
them  not  pray  without  the  Spirit,  but  foUow  his  leadings.  Be 
sure  not  to  quench  the  Spirit  for  the  sake  of  praying  accord- 
ing to  the  regular  custom.  Avoid  everything  calculated  to 
divert  attention  away  from  the  object  Ail  affectation  of  feel- 
ing that  is  not  real,  should  be  particularly  guarded  against 
If  there  is  an  affectation  of  feeling,  most  commonly  others  see 
and  feel  that  it  is  affectation,  not  reahty.  At  any  rate,  the 
Spirit  of  God  knows  it,  and  will  be  grieved,  and  leave  the 
place.  On  the  other  hand,  aU  resistance  to  the  Spirit  will 
equally  destroy  the  meeting.  Not  unfrequently  it  happens, 
that  there  are  some  so  cold  that  if  any  one  should  break  out 
in  the  spirit  of  prayer,  they  would  call  it  fanaticism,  and  per- 
haps break  out  in  opposition- 

11.  If  individuals  refuse  to  pray  when  they  are  called  on  it 
injures  a  prayer-meeting.  There  are  some  people,  who  al- 
ways pretend  they  have  no  gifts.  Women  sometimes  refuse 
to  take  their  turn  in  prayer,  and  pretend  they  have  not  ability 
to  pray.  But  if  any  one  else  should  say  so,  they  would  be  offend 
3d-  Suppose  they  should  know  that  any  other  person  had  made 
Buch  a  remark  as  this,  "  Do  not  ask  her  to  pray  ;  she  cannot 
pray  ;  she  has  not  talents  enough  ;"  would  they  Hke  it  ?  So 
with  a  man  who  pretends  he  has  no  gifts,  let  any  one  else  re- 
port that  he  has  not  talents  enough  to  make  a  decent  prayer, 
and  see  if  he  will  like  it  The  pretence  is  not  sincere  ;  it  is  all 
a  sham. 

Some  say  they  cannot  pray  in  their  families,  they  have  no 
gift     But  a  person  cooid  not  offend  them  more  than  to  Sfrv 


ITKBTTBrGS    FOE   PRATTCB.  IW 

they  cannot  pray  a  decent  prayer  before  their  own  famflieft 
They  would  say,  "  Why,  the  man  talks  as  if  he  thought  no- 
body else  had  any  gifts  but  himself."  People  are  not  apt  to 
have  such  a  low  opinion  of  themselves.  I  have  often  seen  the 
curse  of  God  follow  such  professors.  They  have  no  excuse. 
God  will  take  none.  The  man  has  got  a  tongue  to  talk  to  hia 
neighbors,  and  he  can  talk  to  God  if  he  has  any  heart  for  it 
You  will  see  their  children  unconverted,  their  son  a  curse, 
their  daughter — tongue  cannot  telL  God  says  he  will  pour 
out  his  fury  on  the  famiHes  that  call  not  on  his  name.  If  I 
had  time,  I  could  mention  a  host  of  facts  to  show  that  God 
MAEKS  those  individuals  with  his  disapprobation  and  curse 
who  refuse  to  pray  when  they  ought  Until  professors  of 
religion  will  repent  of  this  sin  and  take  up  the  cross  (if  they 
choose  to  call  praying  a  cross  !)  and  do  their  duty,  they  need 
not  expect  a  blessing. 

12.  Prayer  meetings  are  often  tco  long.  They  should  at 
ways  be  dismissed  while  Christians  have  feeling,  and  not  be 
spun  out  until  all  feeling  is  exhausted,  and  the  Spiiit  is  gone. 

13.  Heartless  confessions.  People  confess  their  sins  and 
do  not  forsake  them.  Every  week  they  will  make  the  same 
confession  over  again.  A  long,  cold,  dull,  stupid  confession 
this  week,  and  then  the  next  week  another  just  hke  it,  without 
forsaking  any  sins.  Why,  they  have  no  intention  to  forsake 
their  sins  I  It  shows  plainly  that  they  do  not  mean  to  reform. 
All  their  religion  consists  in  these  confessions.  Instead  of 
getting  a  blessing  from  God  by  such  confessions  they  will  get 
only  a  curse. 

14  When  Christians  spend  all  the  time  in  praying  for  them- 
selves. They  should  have  done  this  in  their  closets.  When 
they  come  to  a  prayer  meeting,  they  should  be  prepared  to 
offer  effectual  intercessions  for  othera  If  Christians  pray  in 
their  closets  as  they  ought,  they  will  feel  like  praying  for  sin- 
ners. If  they  pray  exclusively  in  their  closets  for  themselves, 
they  will  not  get  the  spirit  of  prayer.  I  have  known  men 
shut  themselves  up  for  days  to  pray  for  themselves,  and  never 
get  any  life,  because  their  prayers  are  all  selfish.  But  if  they 
will  just  forget  themselves,  and  throw  their  hearts  abroad,  and 
pray  for  others,  it  will  wake  up  such  a  feeling,  that  they  can 
pour  forth  their  hearta  And  then  they  can  go  to  work  for 
Bouls.  I  knew  an  individual  in  a  revival,  who  shut  himself 
up  seventeen  days,  and  prayed  as  if  he  would  have  God  come 
to  his  terms,  but  it  would  not  do,  and  then  he  went  out  to 
work,  and  immediately  he  had  tlie  Spirit  of  God  in  his  souL 
It  ifi  well  for  Christians  to  pray  for  themselves,  and  conieM 


130  tfBETINaS   FOB   PBATBB. 

fcheir  sins,  and  then  throw  their  hearts  abroad,  till  they  feel 

as  they  ought 

15.  Prayer  meetings  are  often  defeated  by  the  ward  of  op- 
propriale  remarks.  The  things  are  not  said  which  are  calcu- 
lated to  lead  them  to  pray.  Perhaps  the  leader  has  not  pre- 
pared himself ;  or  perhaps  he  has  not  the  requisite  talents, 
to  lead  the  church  out  in  prayer,  or  he  does  not  lead  their 
minds  to  dwell  on  the  appropriate  topics  of  prayer. 

16.  When  individuals  who  are  justly  obnoxious  for  any 
cause,  are  forward  ui  speaking  and  praying.  Such  p  rsona 
are  sometimes  veiy  much  set  upon  taking  a  pait.  They  say 
it  is  their  duty  to  get  up  and  testify  for  God  on  all  occasions, 
They  will  say,  they  know  they  are  not  able  to  edify  the  church, 
but  nobody  else  can  do  their  duty,  and  they  wish  to  testify. 
Perhaps  the  only  place  they  ever  did  testify  for  God  was  in  a 
prayer  meeting  ;  aU  their  hves,  out  of  the  meeting,  testify 
against  God.     They  had  better  keep  still. 

17.  Where  persons  take  a  part  who  are  so  illiterate  that  it 
is  impossible  persons  of  taste  should  not  be  disgusted.  Per- 
sons of  intelligence  cannot  foUow  them,  and  their  minds  are 
unavoidably  diverted.  I  do  not  mean  that  it  is  necessary  a 
person  should  have  a  hberal  education  in  order  to  lead  in 
prayer.  kM  persons  of  common  education,  especially  if  they 
are  in  the  habit  of  prajing,  can  lead  in  prayer,  if  they  have 
the  spirit  of  prayer.  But  there  are  some  persons  who  use  such 
absurd  and  iUiterate  expressions,  as  cannot  but  disgust  every 
inteUigent  mind.  They  cannot  help  being  disgusted.  Th*e 
feeling  of  disgust  is  an  involuntary  thing,  and  when  a  dis- 
gusting object  is  before  the  mind,  the  feehng  is  irresistible. 
Piety  will  not  keep  a  person  from  feehng  it.  The  only  way 
is  to  take  away  the  object  If  such  persons  mean  to  do  good, 
they  had  better  remain  silent.  Some  of  them  may  feel  griev- 
ed at  not  being  called  to  take  a  part  But  it  is  better  that 
they  should  be  kindly  told  the  reason  than  to  have  the  prayer 
meeting  regularly  injured,  and  rendered  ridiculous  by  their 
performances. 

18.  A  want  of  union  in  prayer.  When  one  leads  the  others 
do  not  follow,  but  are  thinking  of  something  els&  Their 
hearts  do  not  unite,  do  not  say,  Amen.  It  is  as  bad  as  if  one 
should  make  a  petition  and  another  remonstrate  against  it 
One  asks  God  to  do  a  thing,  and  the  others  ask  him  not  to  do 
it,  or  to  do  something  elsa 

19.  Neglect  of  secret  prayer.  Christians  who  do  not  pray 
in  secret,  cannot  unite  with  power  in  a  prayer  meetiBg,  and 
caimot  have  the  spirit  of  prayer. 


HXXTLNaS   FOB   TBJLYltR.  181 


BEMABKS. 

1.  An  illy  conducted  prayer  meeting  often  does  more  hur" 
than  good.  In  many  churches,  the  general  manner  of  con- 
ducting prayer  meetings  is  such  that  Christians  have  not  the 
least  idea  of  the  design  or  tiie  power  of  such  meetings.  It 
is  such  as  tends  to  keep  down  rather  than  to  promote  pious 
feeling  and  the  spirit  of  prayer. 

2.  A  prayer  meeting  is  an  index  to  the  state  of  religion  in 
a  churclL  If  the  church  neglect  the  prayer  meetings,  or  come 
and  have  not  the  spirit  of  prayer,  you  know  of  course  that 
religion  is  low.  Let  me  go  into  the  prayer  meeting,  and  I 
can  always  see  the  state  of  rehgion  there. 

3.  Every  minister  ought  to  know  that  if  the  prayer  meet- 
ings are  neglected,  all  his  labors  are  in  vain.  Unless  he  can 
get  Christians  to  attend  the  prayer  meetings,  all  he  can  do 
will  not  bring  up  the  state  of  rehgion. 

4.  A  great  responsibihty  rests  on  him  who  leads  a  prayer 
meeting.  If  the  prayer  meeting  be  not  what  it  ought  to  be, 
if  it  does  not  elevate  the  state  of  rehgion,  he  should  go  se- 
riously to  work  and  see  what  is  the  matter,  and  get  the  spirit 
of  prayer,  and  prepare  himseK  to  make  such  remarks  as  are 
calculated  to  do  good  and  set  things  right  A  leader  has  no 
business  to  lead  prayer  meetings,  if  he  is  not  prepared,  both 
in  head  and  heart,  to  do  this.  I  wish  you,  who  lead  the  dia 
trict  prayer  meetings  of  this  chiu'ch,  to  notice  this  pomt. 

5.  Prayer  meetings  are  the  most  difficult  meetings  to  sua 
tain  as  they  ought  to  be.  They  are  so  sphitual,  that  unlesj 
the  leader  be  peculiarly  prepared,  both  in  heart  and  min4 
they  will  dwindle.  It  is  in  vain  for  the  leader  to  complain 
that  members  of  the  church  do  not  attend.  In  nme  cases 
out  of  ten,  it  is  the  leader's  fault,  that  they  do  not  attend.  If 
he  felt  as  he  ought,  they  would  find  the  meetings  so  interest- 
ing, that  they  would  attend  of  course.  If  he  is  so  cold,  and 
dull,  and  without  spirituahty,  as  to  freeze  every  thing,  no 
wonder  people  do  not  come  to  the  meeting.  Church  officers 
often  complain  and  scold  because  people  do  not  come  to  the 
prayer  meeting,  when  the  truth  is,  they  themselves  are  so 
cold  that  they  fi-eeze  every  body  to  death  that  comes, 

6.  Prayer  meetings  are  most  important  meetings  for  the 
church.  It  is  highly  important  for  Christians  to  sustain  the 
prayer  meetmgs  : — 

1.)  To  promote  union 

Tii  uicrease  brotherly  lo?» 


lis  MEETINGS  FOB  PKAYEA. 

(3.)  To  cultivate  Cbristian  confidence. 
?4.)  To  promote  their  own  growth  in  grace. 
(5.)  To  cherish  and  advance  spirituahty. 

7.  Pi'iiyer  meetings  should  be  so  numerous  in  the  church, 
and  be  so  aiTanged,  as  to  exercise  the  gifts  of  every  individ- 
ual member  of  the  church — male  and  femala  Every  one 
should  have  the  opportunity  to  pray,  and  to  express  the 
feelings  of  his  heart,  if  he  has  any.  The  sectional  prayer 
meetings  of  this  church  are  designed  to  do  this.  And  if 
they  are  too  large  for  this,  let  them  be  divided,  so  as  to 
bring  the  entire  mass  into  the  work,  to  exercise  all  gifts, 
and  diffuse  union,  confidence,  and  brotherly  love  through  the 
whole. 

8.  It  is  important  that  impenitent  sinners  should  always  at- 
tend prayer  meetings.  If  none  come  of  their  own  accord,  go 
out  and  invite  them.  Christians  ought  to  take  great  pains  to 
induce  their  impenitent  friends  and  neighbors  to  come  to 
prayer  meetings.  They  can  pray  better  for  impenitent  sin- 
ners when  they  have  them  right  before  their  eyes.  I  have 
known  female  prayer  meetings  exclude  sinners  from  the  meet- 
ing. And  the  reason  was,  they  were  so  proud  they  were 
a^amed  to  pray  before  sinners.  What  a  spirit  1  Sudi  pray- 
ers will  do  no  good-  They  msult  God.  You  have  not  done 
enough,  by  any  means,  when  you  have  gone  to  the  prayer 
meeting  yourself.  You  cannot  pray,  if  you  have  invited  no 
sinner  to  go.  If  all  the  church  have  neglected  their  duty  so, 
and  have  gone  to  the  prayer  meeting,  and  taken  no  sinners 
along  with  them,  no  subjects  of  prayer — ^what  have  they  come 
for? 

9.  The  great  object  of  all  the  means  of  grace  is  to  aim  di- 
rectly at  the  conversion  of  sinners.  You  should  pray  that 
they  may  be  converted  there.  Not  pray  that  they  may  be 
awakened  and  convicted,  but  pray  that  they  may  be  conver- 
ted on  the  spot.  No  one  should  either  pray  or  make  any  re- 
marks, as  if  he  expected  a  single  sinner  would  go  away  with- 
out giving  his  heart  to  God.  You  should  all  make  the  im- 
pression on  his  mind,  that  NOW  he  must  submit.  And  if  you 
do  this,  while  you  are  yet  speaking  God  will  hear.  If 
Christians  make  it  manifest  that  they  have  really  set  theii 
hearts  on  the  conversion  of  sinners,  and  are  bent  upon  it,  and 

gray  as  they  ought,  there  would  rai-ely  be  a  prayer  meeting 
eld  without  souls  being  converted,  and  sometimes  every  sin- 
ner in  the  room.  That  is  the  vei-y  time,  if  ever,  that  sinnera 
should  be  converted  in  answer  to  those  prayers.  I  do  not 
doubt  but  that  you  may  have  sinners   ouuveiUxi  in  every  8B0 


ICEimNGfl    rOB   PBATS&.  IBS 

ttonal  prayer  meeting,  if  you  do  your  duty.  Take  them  there, 
take  your  families,  your  friends,  or  your  neighbors  there  with 
that  design,  give  them  the  proper  instruction,  if  they  need 
instruction,  and  pray  for  them  as  you  ought,  and  you  will 
save  their  souls.  Rely  upon  it,  if  you  do  your  duty,  in  a 
right  manner,  God  will  not  keep  back  his  blessing,  and  the 
work  will  be  dona 


LECTURE  IX 

MEANS   TO   BE   USED   WITH   SINIOEBS. 

l^KT.— Ye  are  my  witnesses,  eaith  the  Lord,  and  my  servant  whom  1  hvrt 
ehoeen. — Isaiah  xliii :  10. 

In  the  text  it  is  affirmed  of  the  chDdren  of  God,  that  they 
are  his  witnesses.  In  several  preceding  lectures  I  have  been 
dweDing  on  the  subject  of  Prayer,  or  that  department  of 
means  for  the  promotion  of  a  revival,  which  is  intended  to 
move  God  to  pour  out  his  Spirit  I  am  now  to  commence 
the  other  department : 

VEANS    TO    BE    USED    FOR   THE    CONVICTION    AND    OONVEllSION    OF 

SINNERS. 

It  is  true,  in  general,  that  persons  are  affected  by  the  sub- 
pet  of  rehgion,  in  proportion  to  their  conviction  of  its  tnith. 
piattention  to  rehgion  is  the  great  reason  why  so  httle  is  felt 
>jncenmig  it.  No  bemg  can  look  at  the  great  truths  of  rehg- 
ion, as  truths,  and  not  feel  deeply  concerning  them.  The  devil 
cannot.  He  beheves  and  trembles.  Angels  in  heaven  feel  in 
view  of  these  things.  God  feels.  An  intellectual  conviction 
of  truth  is  always  accompanied  with  feehng  of  some  kind. 

One  grand  design  of  God  in  leaving  Christians  in  the  world 
after  their  conversion,  is  that  they  may  be  witnesses  for  God. 
It  is  that  they  may  call  the  attention  of  the  thoughtless  mul- 
titude to  the  subject,  and  make  them  see  the  difference  in  the 
character  and  destiny  of  those  who  beheve  and  those  who  re- 
ject the  Gospel.  This  inattention  is  the  grand  difficulty  in  the 
way  of  promoting  rehgion.  And  what  the  Spirit  of  God  does 
is  to  awaken  the  attention  of  men  to  the  subject  of  their  sin 
and  the  plan  of  salvation.  Miracles  have  sometimes  been 
employed  to  arrest  the  attention  of  sinners.  And  in  this  way» 
miracles  may  become  instrumental  in  conversion,  although 
conversion  is  not  itself  ^  miracle,  nor  do  miracles  themselves 
ever  convert  any  body.  They  may  be  the  means  of  awaken- 
ing. Miracles  are  not  fli ways  effectual  even  in  that.  And  if 
continued  or  made  common,  they  would  soon  lose  their  power. 
What  is  wanted  in  the  world  is  something  that  can  be  a  sort 
(184) 


MBANS    TO    BE    USED    WITH    SINNEBft,  135 

of  omnipresent  miracle,  able  not  only  to  arrest  attention  but 
to  fix  it,  and  keep  the  mind  in  warm  contact  with  the  truth, 
till  it  yields.  ^ 

Hence  we  see  why  God  has  scattered  his  children  every- 
where, in  families  and  among  the  nations.  He  never  would 
suffer  them  to  be  altogether  in  one  plac«,  however  agreeable 
it  might  be  to  their  feelings.  He  wishes  them  scattered. 
When  the  church  at  Jerusalem  herded  together,  neglecting  to 
go  forth  as  Christ  had  commanded,  to  spread  the  Gospel  all 
over  the  world,  God  let  loose  a  persecution  upon  them  and 
scattered  them  abroad,  and  then  "they  went  everywhere 
preaching  the  Gospel"  In  examining  the  text,  I  propose  to 
inquire. 

L  To  what  particular  points  Christians  are  to  testify  for 
God. 

n.  The  manner  in  which  they  are  to  testify. 

I.  To  what  points  are  the  childi-en  of  God  required  to  tes- 
tify ? 

Generally,  they  are  to  testify  to  the  tnith  of  the  Bible.  They 
are  competent  witnesses  to  this,  for  they  have  experience  of 
its  ti-uth.  The  experimental  Chi-istian  has  no  more  need  of 
external  evidence  to  prove  the  truth  of  the  Bible  to  his  mind, 
tlum  he  has  to  prove  his  own  existence.  The  whole  plan 
of  salvation  is  so  fully  spread  out  and  settled  in  his  convic- 
tion, that  to  undertake  to  reason  him  out  of  his  beUef  in  the 
Bible  would  be  a  thing  as  impracticable  as  to  reason  him  out 
of  the  belief  in  his  owm  existence.  Men  have  tried  to  awaken 
a  doubt  of  the  existence  of  the  material  world.  But  they  can- 
not succeed.  No  man  can  doubt  the  existence  of  a  material 
world.  To  doubt  it,  is  against  his  own  consciousness.  You 
may  use  arguments  that  he  cajinot  answer,  and  may  puzzle 
and  perplex  him,  and  shut  up  his  mouth  ;  he  may  be  no  logi- 
cian or  philosopher,  and  unable  to  detect  your  fallacies.  But 
what  he  knows  he  knows. 

So  it  is  in  religion.  The  Christian  is  conscious  that  the 
Bible  is  trua  The  veriest  child  in  religion  knows  by  his  ex- 
perience the  truth  of  the  Bible.  He  may  hear  objections  from 
infidels,  that  he  never  thought  of,  and  that  he  cannot  answer, 
and  he  may  be  confounded,  but  he  cannot  be  driven  fi-om  his 
ground.  He  will  say,  "  I  cannot  answer  you,  but  I  know  the 
Bible  is  true." 

As  if  a  man  should  look  in  a  mirror,  and  say,  "  That's  my 
face."  How  do  you  know  it  is  your  face  ?  "  Why,  by  its 
looka"  So  when  a  Christian  sees  himself  drawn  and  pictured 
forth  in  the  Bible,  he  sees  the  likeness  to  be  so  exact,  that  he 


130  MEANS   TO    BE    USED    WITH    SINNERS. 

knows  it  is  trua     But  more  particularly,  Christians  are  to 
testify — 

1.  To  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  This  is  clearly  revealed 
in  the  Bible. 

2.  The  vanity  and  unsatisfying  nature  of  all  earthly  good. 

3.  The  satisfying  nature  and  glorious  sufficiency  of  religion. 

4.  The  guilt  and  danger  of  sinners.  On  this  point  they  can 
speak  from  experience  as  well  as  the  word  of  God.  They  have 
seen  their  own  sins,  and  they  understand  more  of  the  nature 
of  sin,  and  the  gudt  and  danger  of  sinners. 

5.  The  reality  of  hell,  as  a  place  of  eternal  punishment  for 
the  wicked. 

6.  The  love  of  Christ  for  sinners. 

7.  The  necessity  of  a  holy  life,  if  we  think  of  ever  getting 
to  heaven. 

8.  The  necessity  of  self-denial,  and  living  above  the  world. 

9.  The  necessity  of  meekness,  heavenly-mindedness,  humit 
ity,  and  integrity. 

10.  The  necessity  of  an  entire  renovation  of  character  and 
life,  for  all  who  would  enter  heaven.  These  are  the  subjects 
on  which  they  are  to  be  witnesses  for  God.  And  they  are 
bound  to  testify  in  such  a  way  as  to  constrain  men  to  believe 
the  truth. 

XL  How  are  they  to  testify  ? 

By  precept  and  example,  on  every  proper  occasion,  by  their 
hps,  but  mainly  by  their  lives.  Christians  have  no  right  to  be 
silent  with  theii-  hps  ;  they  should  rebuke,  exhort,  and  entreat 
with  all  long-suffering  and  doctrina  But  their  main  influence 
as  witnesses  is  by  their  exampla 

They  ai-e  required  to  be  witnesses  in  this  way,  because  ex- 
ample teaches  with  so  much  greater  force  than  precept.  This 
is  universally  known.  Actions  speak  louder  than  worda  But 
where  both  precept  and  example  are  brought  to  bear,  it  brings 
the  greatest  amousit  of  influence  to  bear  upon  the  mind.  As 
to  the  manner  in  which  they  are  to  testify  ;  the  way  in  which 
they  should  bear  witness  to  the  truth  of  the  points  specified  ; 
in  general — they  should  live  in  their  daily  walk  and  conversa- 
tion, as  if  they  beheved  the  Bible. 

1.  As  if  they  believed  the  soul  to  be  immortal,  and  as  if  they 
beheved  that  death  was  not  the  termination  of  their  existence^ 
but  the  entrance  into  an  unchanging  state.  They  ought  to  Uve 
so  as  to  make  this  impression  full  upon  all  around  them.  It  is 
easy  to  see  that  precept  without  example  on  this  point  wiU  do 
no  good.  AU  the  arguments  in  the  world  will  not  convince 
mankind  that  you  really  believe  this,  unless  you  live  as  if  joa 


MEA1T8   TO    BE    USED    WITH    SnOfERS.  18? 

believed  it  Tour  reasoning  may  be  unanswerable,  but  if  yoo 
do  not  live  accordingly,  your  practice  will  defeat  your  argu 
menta  They  will  say  you  are  an  ingenious  sopliist,  or  an 
acute  reasoner,  and  perhaps  admit  that  they  camiot  answer 
you  ;  but  then  they  vnR  say,  it  is  evident  that  your  reasoning 
is  aU  false,  and  that  you  know  it  is  false,  because  your  life  con- 
tradicts youi'  theory.  Or  that,  if  it  is  ti-ue,  you  do  not  beheve 
it,  at  any  rate.  And  so  aU  the  influence  of  your  testimony 
goes  to  the  other  side. 

2.  The  vanity  and  unsatisfying  natiure  of  the  things  of  this 
world.  You  are  to  testify  this  by  yoiu-  life.  The  failure  in 
this  is  the  great  stmnbling  block  in  the  way  of  mankind. 
Here  the  testimony  of  God's  children  is  needed  more  than  any- 
where else.  Men  are  so  struck  with  the  objects  of  sense,  and 
so  constantly  occupied  with  them,  that  they  are  ver}'  apt  to  shut 
out  eternity  from  their  minds.  A  smaU  object,  that  is  held 
close  to  the  eye,  may  shut  out  the  distant  ocean.  So  the  things 
of  the  world,  that  are  near,  magnify  so  in  their  minds,  that 
they  overlook  every  thing  else.  One  important  design  in  keep- 
ing Christians  in  the  world  is  to  teach  people  on  this  pointj 
praxjtwaUy,  not  to  labor  for  the  meat  that  perishetk  But  sup- 
pose professors  of  rehgion  teach  the  vanity  of  earthly  things 
by  precept,  and  contrachct  it  in  practice.  Suppose  the  women 
are  just  as  fond  of  dress,  and  just  as  particulai'  in  observing 
all  the  fashions,  and  the  men  as  eager  to  have  fine  houses  and 
equipage,  as  the  people  of  the  world.  Who  does  not  see  that 
it  would  be  quite  ridiculous  for  them  to  testify  with  their  Hps, 
that  this  world  is  all  vanity,  and  its  joys  uji  satisfying  and 
impty  ?  People  feel  this  absurdity,  and  it  is  tins  that  shuts 
up  the  hps  of  Christians.  They  are  ashamed  to  speak  to  their 
neighbors,  while  they  cumber  themselves  with  these  gewgaws, 
because  their  daily  conduct  testifies  to  every  body  the  very 
revei-sa  How  it  would  look  for  some  of  the  church  members 
in  this  city,  male  or  female,  to  go  about  among  the  common 
people,  and  talk  to  them  about  the  vanity  of  the  world  I  Who 
would  beheve  what  they  say  ? 

3.  The  satisfying  nature  of  rehgion.  Christians  are  bound 
to  show  by  their  conduct,  that  tJiey  are  actually  satisfied  with 
the  enjoyments  of  rehgion,  without  the  pomps  and  vanities  of 
the  world  ;  that  the  joys  of  reh^T^on  and  commimion  with  God 
keep  them  above  the  world.  They  are  to  manifest  that  this 
world  is  not  theu'  home.  Their  profession  is,  that  heaven  is  a 
reality,  and  that  they  expect  to  dwell  there  for  ever.  But  sup- 
pose they  contradict  this  by  their  conduct,  and  hve  in  such  a 
way  tm  to  prove  that  they  camiot  be  happy  unless  they  haye  ft 


IM  MKA2?^S   TO    BE    USED    WITH    SIlfNEBS. 

full  share  of  the  fashion  and  show  of  the  world,  and  that  im 
for  going  to  heaven,  they  had  much  rather  remain  on  eartn, 
than  to  die  and  go  tliere !  What  do  the  world  tliink,  when 
they  see  a  professor  of  rehgion  just  as  much  afraid  to  die  aa 
an  infidel  ?  Such  Christians  perjure  themselves — they  swear 
to  a  he,  for  they  testify  that  there  is  nothing  in  religion  foi 
which  a  person  can  afford  to  hve  above  the  world 

4.  The  guilt  and  danger  of  sinners.  Christians  are  bound 
to  warn  sinners  of  their  awful  condition,  and  exhort  them  to 
flee  from  the  wrath  to  come,  and  lay  hold  on  everlasting  hfe. 
But  who  does  not  know  that  the  maniwr  of  doing  this  is  every- 
thing ?  Siimers  are  often  struck  under  conviction  by  the 
very  manner  of  doing  a  thing.  There  was  a  man  once  very 
much  opposed  to  a  certain  preacher.  On  being  asked  to 
specify  some  reason,  he  rephed,  "  I  can't  bear  to  hear  him, 
for  he  says  the  word  HELL  in  such  a  way  that  it  rings  in 
my  eai's  a  long  time  afterwards."  He  was  displeased  with 
the  very  thing  that  constituted  the  power  of  speaking  that 
one  word.  The  manner  may  be  such  as  to  convey  an  idea 
directly  opposite  to  the  meaning  of  the  words.  A  man  may 
tell  you  that  your  house  is  on  fii-e  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
directly  the  opposite  impression,  and  you  will  take  for  granted 
that  it  is  not  your  house  that  is  on  fire.  The  watchman  might 
sing  out  FmE,  fere,  in  such  a  way  that  every  body  would  tlmik 
he  was  either  asleep  or  drunk.  A  certain  manner  is  so  usu- 
ally connected  with  the  announcement  of  certain  things  that 
they  cannot  be  expressed  without  that  manner.  The  words 
themselves  never  alone  convey  the  meaning,  because  the  idea 
can  only  be  fully  expressed  by  a  particular  manner  of  speak 
ing.  Go  to  a  sinner,  and  talk  with  him  about  his  guilt  and 
danger  ;  and  if  in  your  manner  you  make  an  unpression  that 
does  not  correspond,  you  in  effect  bear  testimony  the  other 
way,  and  tell  him  he  is  in  no  danger  of  hell.  If  the  sinner 
believes  at  aU  that  he  is  in  danger  of  hell,  it  is  whoUy  on 
other  grounds  than  your  saying  so.  If  you  hve  in  such  a 
way  as  to  show  that  you  do  not  feel  compassion  for  sinners 
around  you  ;  if  you  show  no  tenderness,  by  your  eyes,  your 
features,  youi*  voice  ;  if  your  manner  is  not  solemn  and  earn- 
est, how  can  they  believe  you  are  sincere  ? 

Woman,  suppose  you  teU  your  unconverted  husband,  in  an 
easy,  laughing  way,  "  My  dear,  I  beheve  you  are  going  to 
hell ;  *'  win  he  beheve  you  ?  If  your  life  is  gay  and  trifling, 
you  show  that  either  you  do  not  believe  there  is  a  hell,  or  that 
you  wish  to  have  him  go  there,  and  are  trying  to  keep  ofl 
every  serious  impression  from  his  mind     Have  you  children 


ILBAJfS    TO    BE    USED    WITH    SIXITERii.  18t 

fiiat  are  nnoon verted  ?  Suppose  yon  never  say  any  thing  to 
fchem  about  religion,  or  when  you  do  talk  to  them  it  is  in  such 
a  eold,  hard,  dry  way  as  shows  you  have  no  feeling  ;  do  you 
suppose  they  believe  you  ?  They  don't  see  the  same  coldness 
in  you  in  regard  to  other  things.  They  are  in  the  habit  ol 
seeing  aU  the  mother  in  your  eye,  and  in  the  tones  of  your 
voice,  yoiu'  emphasis,  and  the  like,  and  feeling  the  warmth  of 
a  mother's  heart  as  it  flows  out  from  your  lips  on  all  that 
concerns  them.  If,  then,  when  you  talk  to  them  on  the  sub- 
ject of  rehgion,  you  are  cold  and  trifling,  can  they  suppose 
you  beheve  it?  If  your  deportment  holds  up  before  youi 
child  this  careless,  heartless,  prayerless  spirit,  and  then  you 
talk  to  him  about  the  importance  of  religion,  the  child  will  go 
away  and  laugh,  to  think  you  should  try  to  persuade  hun 
there  is  a  helL 

5.  The  love  of  Christ.  You  are  to  bear  witness  to  the  re- 
ahty  of  the  love  of  Christ,  by  the  regard  you  show  for  his 
precepts,  his  honor,  his  kingdom.  You  should  act  as  if  you 
beUeved  that  he  died  for  the  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  and 
as  if  you  blamed  sinners  for  rejecting  his  great  salvation 
This  is  the  only  legitimate  way  in  which  you  can  impress  sin- 
ners with  the  love  of  Christ  Christians,  instead  of  this, 
often  Hve  so  as  to  make  the  impression  on  sinners  that 
Christ  is  so  compassionate  that  they  have  veiy  Httle  to  fea^* 
from  him.  I  have  been  amazed  to  see  how  a  certain  class  of 
professors  want  ministers  to  be  always  preaching  about  the 
love  of  Christ.  If  a  minister  preaches  up  duty,  and  urges 
Christians  to  be  holy,  and  to  labor  for  Christ,  they  caU  it  all 
legal  preaching.  They  say  they  want  to  hear  the  Gospel 
Well,  suppose  you  present  the  love  of  Chi*isi  How  will  they 
bear  testimony  in  their  Hves  ?  How  will  they  show  that  they 
believe  it  ?  \VTiy,  by  conformity  to  the  world,  they  ^rill  testify 
point  blank,  that  they  do  not  beheve  a  word  of  it,  and  that  they 
care  nothing  at  all  for  the  love  of  Christ,  only  to  have  it  for 
a  cloak,  that  they  can  talk  about  it,  and  so  cover  up  their 
sins.  They  have  no  sympathy  with  his  compassion,  and  no 
behef  in  it  as  a  reahty,  and  no  concern  for  the  feelings  of 
of  Christ,  which  fill  his  mind  when  he  sees  the  condition  of 
sinners. 

6.  The  necessity  of  holiness  in  order  to  enter  heaven-  It 
win  not  do  to  depend  on  talking  about  this.  They  must  Hve 
holy,  and  thus  testify  that  men  need  not  expect  to  be  saved, 
onless  they  are  holy.  The  idea  has  so  long  prevailed  that  we 
cannot  he  jjerfect  here,  that  many  professors  do  not  so  much  as 
VJriously  aim  at  a  sinless  life.     They  cannot  honestly  say  that 


140  MTKAIfS   TO    BE    USED   -WTTH    SFNTO^Ba. 

they  ever  so  mnch  as  really  meant  to  live  without  sin.  They 
drift  along  before  the  tide,  in  a  loose,  sinful,  unhappy  and 
abominable  manner,  at  which,  doubtless,  the  devil  laughs, 
because  it  is,  of  all  others,  the  sui-est  way  to  hell. 

7.  The  necessity  of  self-denial,  humility,  and  heavenly-roind- 
edness.  Chiistians  ought  to  show  by  their  own  example  what 
the  religion  is  which  is  expected  of  men.  That  is  the  most 
powerful  preaching,  after  aU,  and  the  most  hkely  to  have  in- 
fluence on  the  imi^enitent,  by  showing  them  the  great  differ- 
ence  between  them  and  Christians.  Many  people  are  trying 
to  make  men  Christians  by  a  different  course,  by  copying  as 
near  as  possible  their  present  manner  of  life,  and  conforming 
to  them  as  much  as  will  possibly  do.  They  seem  to  think  they 
can  make  men  fall  in  with  rehgion  best  by  bringing  religion 
down  to  their  standard.  As  if  the  nearer  you  bring  religion 
to  the  world,  the  more  likely  the  world  would  be  to  embrace 
it  Now  all  this  is  as  wide  as  the  poles  from  the  true  phil- 
osophy of  making  Christians.  But  it  is  always  the  pohcy  of 
carnal  professors.  And  they  think  they  are  displaying  won- 
derful sagacity  and  prudence  by  taking  so  much  pains  not  to 
scare  people  at  the  mighty  strictness  and  holiness  of  the  Gos- 
pel They  argue  that  if  you  exhibit  religion  to  mankind  as 
requiring  such  a  great  change  in  their  manner  of  life,  such 
innovations  upon  their  habits,  such  a  separation  from  their 
old  associates,  why,  you  will  di'ive  them  all  away.   This  seems 

Elausible  at  first  sight.  But  it  is  not  true.  Let  professors 
ve  in  this  lax  and  easy  way,  and  sinners  say,  "  Why,  I  do 
not  see  but  I  am  about  right,  or  at  least  so  near  right,  that  it 
is  impossible  God  should  send  me  to  hell  for  the  difference 
between  me  and  these  professors.  It  is  true,  they  do  a  Uttle 
more  than  I  do,  they  go  the  conmiunion  table,  and  pray  in 
their  famiUes,  and  a  few  such  like  little  things,  but  they  can 
not  make  any  such  great  difference  as  heaven  and  hell." 
No,  the  true  way  is,  to  exliibit  rehgion  and  the  world  in  strong 
contrast,  or  you  never  can  make  sinnei-s  feel  the  necessity  of 
a  change.  "Until  tlie  necessity  of  this  fimdamental  change  is 
embodied  and  held  forth  in  a  strong  hght  by  example,  how 
can  you  make  men  beheve  they  are  going  to  be  sent  to  hell 
if  they  are  not  whoUy  transformed  in  heart  and  life  1 

This  is  not  only  true  m  pliilosophy,  but  it  has  been  proved 
by  the  history  of  the  world.  Look  at  the  missions  of  the 
Jesuits  in  Japan,  by  Francis  Xavier  and  his  associates.  How 
they  hved,  what  a  contrast  they  showed  between  their  reli- 
gion and  the  heathen,  and  what  results  followed  1  Now  I 
was  reading  a  letter  from  one  of  our  missionaries  in  the  East 


MEANS   TO    BE    UBED    "WTTH    PETWEBS.  141 

who  writes,  I  believe,  to  this  effect,  that  a  missionary  must  be 
able  to  raiik  with  the  En<^4ish  nobility,  and  so  recommend  his 
religion  to  the  respect  of  the  natives.  He  must  get  away  up 
above  them,  so  as  to  show  a  superiority,  and  thus  unpress 
them  with  respect !  Is  this  philosophy  ?  Is  this  the  way  to 
convert  the  world.  You  can  no  more  convert  the  world  in 
this  way  than  by  blowing  a  ram's  horn.  It  has  no  tendency 
that  way.  What  did  the  Jesuits  do?  They  went  about 
among  the  people  in  the  daily  practice  of  seli-denial  before 
their  eyes,  teaching,  and  preacliing,  and  prajong,  and  labor- 
ing, unwearied  and  unawed,  mingling  with  eveiy  caste  and 
grade,  bringing  down  their  instructions  to  the  capacity  of 
every  individual  And  in  that  way  the  mission  canied  idola- 
try before  it  hke  a  wave  of  the  sea,  and  all  at  once  their  re- 
hgion  spread  over  the  vast  empu-e  of  Japan.  And  if  they 
had  not  meddled  with  politics  and  brought  themselves  in 
needless  colHsion  with  the  government,  no  doubt  they  would 
have  held  their  groimd  till  this  day.  I  am  not  saying  any- 
thing in  regard  to  the  religion  they  taught,  for  I  am  not  sure 
how  much  truth  they  preached  with  it  I  speak  only  of  their 
following  the  true  pohcy  of  missions,  by  showing,  by  their 
lives,  the  rehgion  they  taught  in  wide  contrast  with  a  worldly 
spirit  and  the  fooleries  of  idolatry.  This  one  feature  of  their 
policy  so  commended  itself  to  the  consciences  of  the  people 
that  it  was  irresistible.  If  Christians  contradict  this  one 
point,  and  attempt  to  accommodate  their  religion  to  the  world- 
hness  of  men,  they  render  the  salvation  of  Sie  world  impos- 
sible. How  can  you  make  people  beheve  that  self-denial  and 
separation  from  the  world  are  necessary,  unless  you  practise 
them? 

8.  Meekness,  humihty,  and  heavenly-mindedness.  The 
people  of  God  should  always  show  a  temper  hke  the  Son  of 
Ood,  who  when  he  was  re\aled,  reviled  not  again.  If  a  pro 
lessor  of  religion  is  uritable,  and  ready  to  resent  an  injury, 
and  fly  in  a  passion,  and  take  the  same  measures  as  the  world 
do  to  get  redress,  by  going  to  law  and  the  like,  how  is  he  to 
make  people  beheve  there  is  any  reality  in  a  change  of  heart  ? 
They  cannot  recommend  rehgion  while  they  have  such  a 
spirit  If  you  are  in  the  habit  of  resenting  injuiious  conduct  ; 
if  you  do  not  bear  it  meekly,  and  put  the  best  construction 
that  can  be  on  it,  you  contradict  the  GospeL  Some  people 
always  show  a  bad  spirit,  ever  ready  to  put  the  worst  construo- 
fcion  on  what  is  done,  and  take  fire  at  any  httle  thing.  Tliis 
shows  a  great  want  of  that  charity  which  "  hopeth  all  things, 
beheveth  all  things,  endureth  all  thinga"     But  if  a  mju)  al 


148  MSAiirS    TO    BE    USED    WrTH    HINNEBa. 

ways  shows  meekness  under  injuries,  it  will  confound  gaia 
saying.  Nothing  makes  so  solemn  an  impression  upon  sin- 
ners, and  bears  down  with  such  a  tremendous  weight  on  their 
consciences,  as  to  see  a  Christian,  Christ-like  beanng  affronts 
and  injuries  with  the  meekness  of  a  lamb.  It  cuts  like  a 
two-edged  sword. 

I  will  mention  a  case  to  show  this.  A  young  man  abused 
a  minister  to  his  face,  and  re\Tled  him  iu  an  unprecedented 
manner.  The  minister  possessed  his  soul  in  patience,  and 
spoke  mildly  iu  reply,  telling  him  the  truth  pointedly,  but 
yet  in  a  very  kind  manner.  This  only  made  him  the  more 
angry,  and  at  length  he  went  away  in  a  rage,  declaring  that 
he  was  not  going  to  stay  and  bear  this  vituperation.  As  if  it 
was  the  minister,  instead  of  himself,  that  had  been  scolding. 
The  sinner  went  away,  but  with  the  arrows  of  the  Almighty 
in  his  heart,  and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  he  followed  the 
minister  to  his  lodgings  in  intolerable  agony,  wept,  and 
begged  forgiveness,  and  broke  down  before  Gocl,  and  yielded 
up  his  heart  to  Christ.  This  calm  and  mild  manner  was 
more  overwhelming  to  him  than  a  thousand  arguments. 
Now  if  that  minister  had  been  thrown  off  his  guard,  and  an- 
swered harshly,  no  doubt  he  would  have  ruined  the  soul  of 
that  young  man.  How  many  of  you  have  defeated  eveiy 
futui-e  effort  you  may  make  with  your  unpenitent  fiiends  or 
neighbors,  in  some  such  way  as  this.  On  some  occasion  you 
have  showed  yourself  so  irascible,  that  you  have  sealed  up 
your  own  lips,  and  laid  a  stumbling  block  over  which  that 
sinner  will  stumble  into  hell.  If  you  have  done  it  in  any  in- 
stance, do  not  sleep  till  you  have  done  all  you  can  to  retrieve 
the  mischief  ;  till  you  have  confessed  the  sin  and  done  every 
thing  to  counteract  it  as  far  as  possible. 

9.  The  necessity  of  entire  honesty  in  a  Christian.  Oh  what 
a  field  opens  here  for  remark  I  But  I  cannot  go  over  it  fully 
now.  It  extends  to  all  the  departments  of  life.  Christiana 
need  to  show  the  strictest  regard  to  integiity  in  every  depart- 
ment of  business,  and  in  all  their  intercourse  with  theu*  fel- 
low-men. If  every  Christian  would  pay  a  scrupulous  regard 
to  honesty,  and  always  be  conscientious  to  do  exactly  right,  it 
would  make  a  powerful  impression  on  the  minds  of  people  of 
the  reality  of  rehgious  principle. 

A  lady  was  once  buying  some  eggs  in  a  store,  and  the  clerk 
made  a  miscount  and  gave  her  one  more  than  the  number. 
She  saw  it  at  the  time,  but  said  nothing,  and  after  she  got 
home  it  troubled  her.  She  felt  that  she  had  acted  wrong, 
soon  hurried  bacsk  to  the  young  man  and  confessed  it  and 


MBAN8   TO    BB    U8BD    WITH    BIl^lTBBA.  HB 

paid  the  difference.  The  impression  of  her  conscientious  in- 
tegrity went  to  his  heart  like  a  sword  It  was  a  great  sin  in 
her  to  conceal  the  miscount,  because  the  temptation  was 
so  small  ;  for  if  she  would  cheat  him  out  of  an  egg,  it  showed 
that  she  would  cheat  him  out  of  his  whole  store,  if  she  could 
do  it  and  not  be  found  out  But  her  prompt  and  humble  con- 
fession showed  an  honest  conscience. 

I  am  happy  to  say,  there  are  some  men  who  deal  on  this 
principle  of  integrity.  And  the  wicked  hate  them  for  it. 
They  rail  against  them,  and  vociferate  in  bar-rooms,  that  they 
n€ver  will  buy  goods  of  such  and  such  individuals,  that  such 
a  hy[)ocrite  shall  never  touch  a  dollar  of  their  money,  and  all 
that,  }ind  then  they  will  go  right  away  and  buy  of  them,  be- 
cause they  know  they  shall  be  honestly  dealt  with.  This  is  a 
testimony  to  the  truth  of  religion,  that  is  heard  from  Georgia 
to  Maine.  Suppose  aU  Christians  did  so,  what  would  be  the 
consequence  ?  Christians  would  run  away  with  the  business 
of  the  city.  The  Christians  would  soon  do  the  business  of 
the  world.  The  great  argument  which  some  Christians  urge, 
that  if  they  do  not  do  business  upon  the  common  piinciple, 
of  statuig  one  price  and  taking  another,  they  cannot  com- 
pete with  men  of  the  world,  is  all  false — inlse  in  j^hilosophy 
and  false  in  history.  Only  make  it  your  invariable  rule  to 
do  right,  and  do  business  upon  principle,  and  you  control  the 
market  The  ungodly  v^ill  be  obliged  to  conform  to  your 
standard.  It  is  perfectly  ia  the  power  of  the  church  to  regu 
late  the  commerce  of  the  world,  if  they  only  themselves  main- 
tain perfect  integrity. 

And  if  Christians  vnll  do  the  same  ia  politics^  they  will 
sway  the  destinies  of  nations,  without  involving  themselves  at 
all  in  the  base  and  corrupting  strife  of  parties.  Only  let 
Christians  generally  determine  to  vote  for  no  man  for  any 
office,  that  is  not  an  honest  man  and  a  man  of  pure  morals, 
and  let  it  be  known  that  Christians  are  united  ia  this,  what 
ever  may  be  their  difference  in  political  sentiments,  and  no 
man  would  be  put  up  who  is  not  such  a  chai*acter.  In  three 
years  it  would  be  talked  about  in  taverns  and  published  m 
newspapers,  when  any  man  is  set  up  as  a  candidate  for  office, 
"  What  a  good  man  he  is,  how  moral,  how  pious !"  and  the 
lika  And  any  pohtical  party  would  no  more  set  up  a  known 
Sabbath-breaker,  or  a  gambler,  or  a  profane  swearer,  or  a 
whoremonger,  or  a  rum-seller,  as  their  candidate  for  office, 
than  they  would  set  up  the  devil  himself  for  president  The 
carnid  policy  of  many  professors,  who  undeiiake  to  correct 
politics  by  such  means  as  wicked  men  emplov  and  who  are 


144  MKANS   TO    BE    USED    WITH    SUnS-BBS. 

determined  to  vote  with  a  "paxij,  let  the  candidate  be  ever  bo 
profligate,  is  all  wrong — wrong  in  principle,  contrary  to  phi- 
losophy and  common  sense,  and  ruinous  to  the  best  interests 
of  mankind.  The  dishonesty  of  the  church  is  cui-sing  the 
world.  I  am  not  going  to  preach  a  political  sermon,  I  assure 
you.  But  I  want  to  show  you,  that  if  you  mean  to  impress 
men  favoi-ably  to  your  religion  by  your  lives,  you  must  be 
honest,  strictly  honest,  in  business,  politics,  and  every 
thing  you  do.  What  do  you  suppose  those  ungodly  poHti- 
dans,  who  know  themselves  to  be  playing  a  dishonest  game  in 
carrying  an  election,  think  of  your  rehgion  when  they  see  you 
uniting  with  them  ?    They  know  you  are  a  hypocrite  1 


REMABKS. 

1.  It  is  unreasonable  for  professors  of  rehgion  to  wonder 
at  the  thoughtlessness  of  sinners. — Every  thing  considered, 
the  carelessness  of  sinners  is  not  wonderful  We  are  a£fected 
by  testimony,  and  only  by  that  testimony  which  is  received 
by  our  minds.  Sinners  are  so  taken  up  with  business,  plea- 
sure, and  the  things  of  the  world,  that  they  will  not  examine 
the  Bible  to  find  out  what  rehgion  is.  Their  feelings  are  ex- 
cited only  on  v/orldly  subjects,  because  these  only  are  broughc 
into  warm  contact  with  their  minds.  The  things  of  the 
world  make  therefore  a  strong  impression.  But  there  is  so 
little  to  make  an  unpression  on  their  minds  in  respect  to 
eternity,  and  to  bring  rehgion  home  to  them,  that  they  do 
not  feel  on  the  subject.  If  they  examined  the  subject  they 
would  feel  But  they  do  not  examine  it,  nor  think  upon  it, 
nor  care  for  it.  And  they  never  will,  unless  God's  vntnesses 
rise  up  and  testify.  But  inasmuch  as  the  great  body  of 
Christians  in  fact  hve  so  as  to  testify  on  the  other  side  by  their 
conduct,  how  can  we  expect  that  sinners  will  feel  right  on  the 
subject  ?  Nearly  all  the  testimony  and  aU  the  influence  that 
comes  to  their  minds  tends  to  make  them  feel  the  other  way. 
God  has  left  his  cause  here  before  the  human  race,  and  left 
his  witnesses  to  testify  in  his  behalf,  and  behold,  tiiey  turn 
round  and  testify  the  other  way  1  Is  it  any  wonder  that  sin- 
ners are  careless  ? 

2.  We  see  why  it  is  that  preaching  does  so  little  good ; 
and  how  it  is  that  so  many  sinners  get  gospel-hardened. 
Sinners  that  live  under  the  Gospel  are  often  supposed  to  b€ 
gospel-hardened ;  but  only  let  the  church  wake  up,  and 
act  consistently,  and  they  will  feel  If  the  church  were  to 
live  only  one  week  as  iJf  they  believed  the  Bible»  sinneru 


MBANS   TO    BE    USED    WITH    81NNEB8.  144 

wonld  melt  down  before  them.  Suppose  I  were  a  lawyer, 
and  should  go  into  court  and  spread  out  my  chent's  case,  the 
issue  is  joined,  and  I  make  my  statements,  and  tell  what  I 
expect  to  prove,  and  then  call  in  my  witnesses.  The  first 
witness  takes  his  oath,  and  then  rises  up  and  contradicts  me 
to  my  face.  What  good  wiU  all  my  pleading  do  ?  I  might 
address  the  jury  a  month,  and  be  as  eloquent  as  Cicero,  but 
so  long  as  my  witnesses  contradicted  me,  all  my  pleading 
would  do  no  good.  Just  so  it  is  with  a  minister  who  is 
preacliing  in  the  midst  of  a  cold,  stupid,  and  God-dishonoring 
chiu-ch.  In  vain  does  he  hold  up  to  view  the  great  truths  of 
religion,  when  every  member  of  the  church  is  ready  to  swear 
he  hes.  Why,  in  such  a  church,  their  very  manner  of  going 
out  of  the  aisles  contradicts  the  sermon.  They  press  out  as 
cheerful  and  as  easy,  bowing  to  one  and  another,  and  wins' 
pering  together,  as  if  nothing  was  the  matter.  Let  the  min- 
ister warn  every  man  daily  with  tears,  it  will  produce  no 
effect.  If  the  devil  should  come  in  and  see  the  state  of 
things,  he  would  think  he  could  not  better  the  business  for 
his  interest 

Yet  there  are  ministers  who  wiU  go  on  in  this  way  for 
years,  preaching  over  the  heads  of  such  a  people,  that  by 
their  hves  contradict  every  word  they  say,  and  they  think  it 
their  duty  to  do  so.  Duty  I  To  preach  to  a  church  that  are 
undoing  all  his  wori.:,  and  contradicting  all  his  testimony, 
and  that  will  not  alter  I  No.  Let  him  shake  off  the  dust 
from  his  feet  for  a  testimony,  and  go  to  the  heathen,  or  to 
the  new  settlements.  The  man  is  wasting  his  energies,  and 
wearing  out  his  life,  and  just  rocking  the  cradle  for  a  sleepy 
church,  all  testifying  to  sinners,  there  is  no  danger.  Their 
whole  hves  are  a  practical  testimony  that  the  Bible  is  not 
true.  Shall  ministers  continue  to  wear  themselves  out  so  ? 
Probably  not  less  than  ninety-nine-himdi^edths  of  the 
preaching  in  this  country  is  lost,  because  it  is  contradicted 
by  the  church.  Not  one  truth  in  a  hundred  that  is  preached 
takes  effect,  because  the  Hves  of  professors  testify  that  it  is 
not  so. 

3.  It  is  evident  that  the  standard  of  CJhristian  Uving  must 
be  raised,  or  the  world  wiU  never  be  converted.  If  we  had  as 
many  church  members  now  as  there  ai'e  famihes,  and  scat- 
tered all  over  the  woi;ld,  and  a  minister  to  every  five  hundred 
souls,  and  every  child  in  a  Sabbath-school,  and  every  young 
person  in  a  Bible-class,  you  would  have  all  the  machinery  you 
want,  but  if  the  church  contradict  the  truth  by  their  lives,  it 
never  would  produce  a  revival 
7 


146  MEAJSfS   TO    BK    USED    WITH    SUTNTERS. 

They  never  will  have  a  revival  in  any  place  while  iha 
whole  church  iq  effect  testify  agains^  the  minister.  Often  li 
is  the  case  that  where  there  is  the  most  preaching,  there  is 
the  least  rehgion,  because  the  church  contradict  the  preach- 
ing. I  never  knew  means  fail  of  a  revival  where  Christians 
lived  consistently.  One  of  the  first  things  is  to  raise  the 
standard  of  rehgion,  so  as  to  embody  and  hang  out  in  the 
sight  of  all  men,  the  truth  of  the  GrospeL  Unless  minist-srs 
can  get  the  church  to  wake  up  and  act  as  if  religion  was  true, 
and  back  their  testimony  by  their  Hves,  in  vain  will  they  at- 
tempt to  promote  a  revival 

Many  churches  are  depending  on  their  minister  to  do 
everything.  When  he  preaches,  they  will  say,  "What  a 
great  sermon  that  was.  He's  an  excellent  minister.  Such 
preaching  must  do  good.  We  shall  have  a  revival  soon,  I 
do  not  doubt."  And  all  the  while  they  are  contradicting 
the  preaching  by  their  Hves.  I  tell  you,  if  they  are  depend- 
ing on  preaclung  alone  to  carry  on  the  work,  they  must  fail 
If  Jesus  Christ  were  to  come  and  preach,  and  the  church  con- 
iradict  it,  he  would  fail.  It  has  been  tried  once.  Let  an 
apostle  rise  from  the  dead,  or  an  angel  come  down  fi'om 
heaven  and  preach,  without  the  church  to  witness  for  God, 
and  it  would  have  no  effect.  The  novelty  might  produce  a 
cei-tain  Idnd  of  effect  for  a  time,  but  as  soon  as  the  novelty 
was  gone,  the  preachtag  would  have  no  saving  effect,  while 
contradicted  by  the  witnesses. 

4.  Every  Christian  makes  an  impression  by  his  conduct, 
and  witnesses  either  for  one  side  or  the  other.  His  looks, 
dress,  whole  demeanor,  make  a  constant  impression  on  one 
side  or  the  other.  He  cannot  help  testifying  for  or  against 
religion.  He  is  either  gathering  with  Christ,  or  scattering 
abroad.  Every  step  you  take,  you  tread  on  chords  that  will 
vibrate  to  all  eternity.  Every  time  you  move,  you  touch  keys 
whose  sound  will  re-echo  over  all  the  lulls  and  dales  in  heav- 
en, and  through  all  the  dark  caverns  and  vaults  of  helL  Evei^ 
moment  of  your  hves,  you  are  exerting  a  tremendous  in- 
fluence, that  will  tell  on  the  immortal  interests  of  souls  all 
around  you.  Are  you  asleep,  while  all  your  conduct  is  exert- 
ing such  an  influence  ? 

Are  you  going  to  walk  m  the  street  ?  Take  care  how  you 
dress.  What  is  that  on  your  head  ?  What  does  that  gaudy 
ribbon,  and  those  ornaments  upon  your  dress,  say  to  every 
one  that  meets  you  ?  It  makes  the  unpression  that  you  wish 
to  be  thought  pretty.  Take  care  1  You  might  just  as  weU 
Write  on  your  clothes,  "NO  TRUTH  ESf  RELIGION.*'    It 


MBIJ^S   TO    BE    USED   WITH    SINNEB8,  147 

Bays,  -GIVE  ME  DRESS,  GIVE  ME  FASHION,  GIVE 
ME  FLATTERY,  AND  I  AM  HAPPY."  The  world  under- 
stand  tliis  testimony  as  you  walk  the  streets.  You  are  "  liv- 
ing epistles,  known  and  read  of  all  men."  If  you  show  pride, 
levity,  bad  temper,  and  the  like,  it  is  like  tearing  open  the 
wounds  of  the  Saviour.  How  Christ  might  weep  to  see  pro- 
fessors of  religion  going  about  hanging  up  his  cause  to  con- 
tempt at  the  comers  of  streeta  Only  "  let  the  women  adorn 
themselves  in  modest  apparel,  with  shamefacedness  and  sobri- 
ety, not  with  broidered  hair,  or  gold,  or  pearls,  or  costly  a3> 
ray,  but  (which  becometh  women  professing  godliness)  with 
good  works  ; "  only  let  them  act  consistently,  and  their  con- 
duct will  tell  on  the  world,  heaven  will  rejoice  and  hell  groan 
at  their  iniiuence.  But  oh,  let  them  display  vanity,  try  to  be 
pretty,  bow  down  to  the  goddess  of  fashion,  fill  their  ear» 
with  ornaments,  and  their  fingers  with  rings.  Let  them  pu^ 
feathers  in  their  hats,  and  clasps  upon  their  arms,  lace  them- 
selves up  tiU  they  can  hai-dly  breathe.  Let  them  put  on  theii 
"round  tires  and  walk  mincing  as  they  go,"  and  their  infiu- 
-mce  is  reversed.  Heaven  puts  on  the  robes  of  mourning,  and 
lell  may  hold  a  jubilea 

5.  It  is  easy  to  see  why  revivals  do  not  prevail  in  a  great 
iity.  How  can  they  ?  Just  look  at  God's  witnesses,  and  see 
what  they  are  testifying  to.  They  seem  to  be  agreed  togeth- 
er to  tempt  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  he  to  the  Holy  Ghost. 
They  make  their  vows  to  God,  to  consecrate  themsdves 
wholly  to  him,  and  then  go  bowing  down  at  the  shrine  of 
fashion,  and  then  wonder  t^ere  are  no  revivals.  It  would  be 
more  than  a  miracle  to  have  a  revival  under  such  circumstan- 
ces. How  can  a  revival  prevail  in  this  church  ?  Do  you  sup- 
pose I  have  such  a  vain  imaguiation  of  my  own  abihty,  as  to 
think  I  can  promote  a  revival  by  preaching  over  your  heads, 
while  you  hve  on  as  some  of  you  do  ?  Do  you  not  know 
that  so  far  as  youi'  influence  goes,  many  of  you  are  right  in 
the  way  of  a  revival  ?  Your  spirit  and  deportment  produce 
on  influence  on  the  world  against  religion.  How  shall  the 
world  believe  rehgion,  when  the  witnesses  are  not  agreed 
among  themselves?  You  contradict  yourselves,  you  con- 
tradict one  another,  and  you  contradict  your  minister,  and 
the  sum  of  the  whole  testimony  is,  there  is  no  need  of  being 
pious. 

Do  you  beheve  the  things  I  have  been  preaching  are  true, 
or  are  they  the  ravings  of  a  disturbed  mind  ?  If  they  are 
true,  do  you  recognize  the  fact  that  they  have  reference  to 
you  f     You  say,  perhaps,  "  I  wish  some  of  the  rich  churches 


148  MEANS   TO    BE    USED    WITH    8INNEBS. 

could  hear  it ! "  Why,  I  am  not  preaching  to  them,  I  am 
preaching  to  you.  My  responsibility  is  to  you,  and  my  fruits 
must  come  from  you.  Now  are  you  contradicting  it  ?  What 
is  the  testimony  on  the  leaf  of  the  record  that  is  now  sealed 
for  the  judgment  concerning  this  dayf  Have  you  manifested 
a  sympathy  with  the  Son  of  God,  when  his  heart  is  bleeding 
in  view  of  the  desolations  of  Zion?  Have  your  children, 
clerks,  servants,  seen  it  to  be  so  ?  Have  they  seen  a  solem- 
nity on  your  countenance,  and  tears  in  your  eyes,  in  view  of 
perishing  souls  ? 

Finally. — I  must  close  by  remarking,  that  God  and  all 
moral  beings  have  great  reason  to  complain  of  this  false  testi- 
mony. There  is  ground  to  complain  that  God's  witnesses 
turn  and  testify  point-blank  against  him.  They  declare  by 
their  conduct  that  there  is  no  truth  in  the  Gospel.  Heaven 
might  weep  and  hell  rejoice  to  see  this.  Oh,  how  guilty  !  Here 
you  are,  going  to  the  judgment,  red  all  over  with  blood. 
Sinners  are  to  meet  you  there,  those  who  have  seen  how  you 
Uve,  many  of  them  already  dead,  and  many  others  you  will 
never  see  again.  What  an  influence  you  have  exerted  !  Per- 
haps hundreds  of  souls  will  meet  you  in  the  judgment,  and 
curse  you  (if  they  are  allowed  to  speak)  for  leading  them  to 
hell,  by  practically  denying  the  truth  of  the  Gospel  What 
will  become  of  this  city,  and  ©f  the  world,  when  the  church 
is  united  in  practically  testifying  that  God  is  a  liar  ?  They 
testify  by  their  hves,  that  if  they  make  a  profession  and  live 
a  moral  life,  that  is  religion  enough.  Oh,  what  a  doctrine  ol 
devils  is  that  I    Enough  to  rain  tJbe  whole 


LECTURE  X. 

TO    WIN   SOULS   REQUIRES   WISDOIL 
Tbxt    -He  that  winneth  eouls  is  wlee.— PBOVBBBa.  xt  SOt 

The  most  common  definition  of  wisdom  is,  that  it  is  the 
choice  of  the  best  end  and  the  selection  of  the  most  appropriate 
meixns  for  the  accompUshment  of  that  end — the  best  adapta- 
tion of  means  to  secure  a  desired  end.  "  He  that  winneth. 
souls,"  God  says,  "is  wise."  The  object  of  this  evening's 
lectui'e  is  to  direct  Christians  in  the  use  of  means  for  accom- 
plishing their  infinitely  desirable  end,  the  salvation  of  souls. 
To-uight  I  shall  confine  my  attention  to  the  private  efforts  of 
individuals  for  tiie  conversion  and  salvation  of  men.  On  an- 
other occasion,  perhaps  I  shall  use  the  same  text  in  speaking 
of  what  is  wise  in  the  pubHc  preaching  of  the  Gosj^el,  and 
the  labors  of  ministers.  In  giving  some  directions  to  aid  pri- 
vate Christians  in  this  work,  I  propose, 

I.  To  show  Christians  how  they  should  deal  with  careless 
sinners. 

H  How  they  should  deal  with  awakened  sinners. 

TTT    How  they  should  deal  with  convicted  sinners. 

L  The  manner  of  dealing  with  cai'eless  sinners. 

1.  In  regard  to  the  time.  It  is  important  that  you  should 
select  a  proper  time  to  try  to  make  a  serious  impression  on  the 
mind  of  a  careless  sinner.  Much  depends  on  timing  your 
efforts  right  For  if  you  fail  of  selectiog  the  most  proper 
time,  very  probably  you  will  be  defeated.  True,  you  may  say, 
it  is  your  duty  at  all  times  to  warn  sinners,  and  try  to  awaken 
them  to  think  of  their  souls.  And  so  it  is  ;  yet  if  you  do  not 
pay  due  regard  to  the  time  and  opportunity,  your  hope  of 
success  may  be  very  doubtful. 

(1.)  It  is  desirable,  if  possible,  to  address  a  person  that  is 
careless,  when  he  is  disengaged  from  other  employments.  In  pro- 
portion as  his  attention  is  taken  up  with  something  else,  it 
will  be  difficult  to  awaken  him  to  religion.  People  who  are 
careless  and  indifferent  to  religion  are  often  offended,  rather 
than  benefited,  by  being  called  off  from  important  and  lawful 
bufiinesa.  For  instance,  a  minister  perhaps  goes  to  visit  the 
family  of  a  merchant,  or  mechanic,  or  farmer,  and  finds  iha 

(149) 


190  TO    WIN    80I7LS    ER<4UIKEB    WISDOM. 

man  aosorbed  in  his  business  ;  perhaps  he  calls  him  off  from 
bis  work  when  it  is  urgent,  and  the  man  is  uneasy  and  irri 
table,  and  feels  as  if  it  was  an  intrusion.  In  such  a  case, 
there  is  little  room  to  expect  any  good.  Notwithstanding  it 
IS  true  that  religion  is  inHnitely  more  important  than  aU  his 
worldly  business,  and  he  ought  to  postpone  everything  to  the 
salvation  of  his  soul,  yet  he  does  not  feel  it,  for  if  he  did  he 
would  no  longer  be  a  careless  sinner,  and  therefore  he  regards 
it  as  unjustifiable,  and  gets  offended.  You  must  take  him  as 
you  find  him,  a  careless,  impenitent  sinner,  and  deal  with 
him  accordingly.  He  is  absorbed  in  other  things,  and  very 
apt  to  be  offended  if  you  take  such  a  time  to  interfere  and 
call  his  attention  to  rehgion. 

(2.)  It  is  important  to  take  a  person,  if  possible,  at  a  time 
when  he  ia  not  strongly  excited  wUh  any  other  svbjecL  If  that 
is  the  case,  he  is  in  an  unfit  frame  to  be  addressed  on  the  sub 
ject  of  i-eligion.  In  proportion  to  the  strength  of  that  excito 
ment,  would  be  the  probabihty  that  you  would  do  no  good. 
You  may  possibly  reach  him  ;  persons  have  had  their  minds 
arrested  and  turned  to  religion  in  the  midst  of  a  powerful  ex- 
citement on  other  subjects.     But  it  is  not  likely. 

(3.)  Be  sure  that  the  person  is  perfectly  sober.  It  used  to 
be  more  common  than  it  is  now  for  people  to  drink  spirits 
every  day,  and  become  more  or  less  intoxicated.  Precisely  in 
proportion  as  they  are  so,  they  are  rendered  unfit  to  be  ap- 
proached on  the  subject  of  religion.  If  they  have  been  drink- 
mg  beer,  or  cider,  or  wine,  so  that  you  can  smell  their  breath, 
you  may  know  there  is  but  httle  chance  of  producing  any  last> 
rag  effect  on  them.  I  have  had  professors  of  religion  bring 
persons  to  me,  pretending  they  were  under  conviction  ;  foi 
you  know  that  people  in  liquor  are  often  very  fond  of  talking 
upon  religion  ;  but  as  soon  as  I  came  near  them,  so  as  to 
smeU  their  breath,  I  have  asked,  Why  do  you  bring  this 
drunken  man  to  me  ?  Why,  they  say,  he  is  not  drunk,  he  haa 
only  drank  a  httla  Well,  that  little  has  made  him  a  httle 
drunk.  He  is  drunk  if  you  can  smell  his  breath.  The  cases 
are  exceedingly  rare  where  a  person  has  been  truly  convicted, 
who  had  any  iatoxicatiog  Hquor  in  him. 

(4 )  If  possible,  where  you  wish  to  converse  with  a  man  on 
the  subject  of  salvation,  take  him  when  he  is  in  a  good  temper. 
If  you  find  him  out  of  humor,  very  probably  he  will  get  angry 
and  abuse  you.  Better  let  him  alone  for  that  time,  or  you  will 
be  likely  to  quench  the  Spirit  It  is  possible  you  may  be  able 
to  talk  in  such  a  way  as  to  cool  his  temper,  but  it  is  not  likely. 
The  truth  is,  men  hate  God,  and  though  their  hatred  may  bf 


TO    WIN    BOV13    REQUIRES    WISDOM.  161 

dormant,  it  is  easily  excited,  and  if  you  bring  Qod  fully  befort 
their  minds  when  they  are  already  excited  with  anger,  it  will 
be  so  much  the  easier  to  arouse  their  enmity  to  open  violence. 

(5.)  If  possible,  always  take  an  opportunity  to  converse 
with  careless  sinners  when  they  are  alcme.  Most  men  are  too 
proud  to  be  conversed  with  fi-eely  respecting  themselves  in  the 
presence  of  others,  even  their  own  family.  A  man  in  such 
circumstances  will  brac^  up  all  his  powers  to  defend  himself 
while  if  he  was  alone  he  would  melt  down  imder  the  truth. 
He  will  resist  the  truth,  or  try  to  laugh  it  o%  for  fear  that  if 
he  should  manifest  any  feeling  somebody  will  go  and  report 
that  he  is  serious. 

In  visiting  families,  instead  of  calling  the  family  together 
at  the  same  time  to  be  talked  to,  the  better  way  is  to  see  them 
all,  one  at  a  time.  There  was  a  case  of  this  kind.  Several 
young  ladies,  of  a  proud,  gay,  and  fashionable  character,  lived 
k)gether  in  a  fashionable  family.  Two  men  were  strongly  de- 
sirous to  get  the  subject  of  rehgion  before  them,  but  were  at  a 
loss  how  to  accomplish  it,  for  fear  they  would  all  combine, 
and  counteract  or  resist  every  serious  impression-  At  length 
they  took  this  course.  They  called  and  sent  up  their  card  to 
one  of  the  young  ladies  by  name.  She  came  down  and  they 
conversed  with  her  on  the  subject  of  her  salvation,  and  as  she 
was  alone,  she  not  only  treated  them  politely,  but  seemed  to 
receive  the  truth  with  seriousness.  A  day  or  two  after,  they 
called  in  like  manner  on  another,  and  then  another,  and  so 
on,  till  they  had  conversed  with  every  one  separately.  In  a 
little  time  they  were  all,  I  beheve,  every  one,  hopefully  con- 
verted This  was  as  it  should  be,  for  then  they  could  not 
keep  each  other  in  countenance.  And  then  the  impression 
made  on  one  was  followed  up  with  the  others,  so  that  one  was 
not  left  to  exert  a  bad  influence  over  the  rest 

There  was  a  pious  woman  who  kept  a  boarding  house  for 
young  gentlemen  ;  she  had  twenty-one  or  two  of  them  in  her 
family,  and  at  length  she  became  very  anxious  for  their  salva- 
tion ;  she  made  it  a  subject  of  prayer,  but  saw  no  seriousness 
among  them.  At  length  she  saw  that  there  must  be  some- 
thing done  besides  praying,  and  yet  she  did  not  know  what 
to  do.  One  morning  after  breakfast,  as  they  were  retiring, 
she  asked  one  of  them  to  stop  a  few  minutes.  She  took  him 
to  her  room,  and  conversed  with  him  tenderly  on  the  subject 
of  religion,  and  prayed  with  him.  She  followed  up  the  im- 
pression made,  and  pretty  soon  he  was  hopefully  converted. 
Then  there  were  two,  and  they  addressed  another,  and  prayed 
with  him,  and  soon  he  was  prepared  to  join  them.     Then  an- 


162  TO    WIN    SOULS    BEQUIRE8    WISDOM. 

other,  and  so  on,  taking  one  at  a  time,  and  letting  none  of  the 
rest  know  what  was  going  on,  so  as  not  to  alarm  them,  till 
every  one  of  these  yoimg  men  was  convei'ted  to  God.  Now 
if  she  had  brought  the  subject  before  the  whole  of  them  to- 
gether, very  hkely  they  would  have  turned  it  aU  into  ridicule  ; 
or  perhaps  they  would  have  been  offended  and  left  the  house, 
and  then  she  could  have  had  no  further  influence  over  them. 
But  taldng  one  alone,  and  treating  h\m  respectfully  and  kindly, 
he  had  no  such  motive  for  resistance  as  arises  out  of  the  pres- 
ence of  others. 

(6.)  Try  to  seize  an  opportunity  to  converse  with  a  careless 
sinner,  when  the  events  of  Frovidence  seem  to  favor  your  design. 
If  any  particular  event  should  occur,  calculated  to  make  a  se- 
rious impression,  be  sure  to  improve  the  occasion  faithfully. 

(7.)  Seize  the  earliest  opportunity  to  converse  with  those 
around  you  who  are  careless.  Do  not  put  it  off  from  day  to 
day,  thinking  a  better  opportunity  will  come.  You  must  seek 
an  opportunity,  and  if  none  offers  make  one.  Appoint  a  time 
and  place,  and  get  an  interview  with  your  friend  and  neighbor, 
where  you  can  speak  to  him  freely.  Send  him  a  note,  go  to 
him  on  purpose,  make  it  look  like  a  matter  of  business,  as  if 
you  were  m  earnest  in  endeavoring  to  promote  his  soul's  sal- 
vation. Then  he  will  feel  that  it  is  a  matter  of  importance,  at 
least  in  your  eyes.  FoUow  it  up  till  you  succeed,  or  become 
convinced  nothing  can  now  be  done. 

(8. )  If  you  have  any  feeling  for  a  particular  individual,  tak»i. 
an  opportunity  to  converse  with  that  individual  while  this  feel- 
ing continvjes.  If  it  is  truly  a  benevolent  feeling,  you  have  rea- 
son to  beHeve  the  Spmt  of  God  is  moving  you  to  desire  the  sal- 
vation of  his  soul,  and  that  God  is  ready  to  bless  your  efforte 
for  his  conversion.  In  such  a  case,  make  it  the  subject  of 
special  and  importunate  prayer,  and  seek  an  early  opportu- 
nity to  pour  out  all  your  heart  to  him  and  bring  him  to 
Christ 

2.  In  regard  to  the  manner  of  doing  all  this. 

(1.)  When  you  approach  a  careless  individual  to  endeavor 
to  awaken  him  to  his  soul's  concerns,  be  sure  to  treat  him 
hindly.  Let  him  see  that  you  address  him,  not  because  you 
seek  a  quarrel  with  him,  but  because  you  love  his  soul,  and 
desire  his  best  good  in  time  and  eternity.  If  you  are  harsh 
and  overbearing  in  your  manner,  you  wiU  probably  offend 
him  and  drive  him  farther  off  fr-om  the  way  of  hfe. 

(2. )  Be  solemn.  Avoid  all  hghtness  of  manner  or  language. 
Levity  will  produce  any  thing  but  a  right  impression.  You 
ought  to  feel  that  you  are  engaged  in  a  y&ry  solemn  work. 


TO    WIN    SOULS    BEQUIBES    WISI>OM.  169 

which  is  going  to  siffect  the  character  of  your  friend  or  neighr 
bor,  and  probably  determine  his  destiny  for  eternity.  Who 
could  trifle  and  use  levity  in  such  circumstances  if  his  heart 
was  sincere  ? 

(3.)  Be  respectful.  Some  seem  to  suppose  it  necessary  to 
be  abmpt,  and  rude,  and  coarse  in  their  intercourse  with  the 
careless  and  impenitent  Nothing  can  be  a  greater  mistaka 
The  Apostle  Pad  has  given  us  a  better  rule  on  the  subject, 
where  he  says,  "  Be  pitiful,  be  courteous,  not  rendering  evil 
for  evil,  or  railing  for  railing,  but  contrariwise  blessing."  A 
rude  and  coarse  address  is  only  calculated  to  give  an  unfavor- 
able opinion  both  of  you  and  yoiu:  religion- 

(4)  Be  sui-e  to  be  very  plain.  Do  not  suffer  yourself  to 
cover  up  any  circumstance  of  the  person's  character,  and  his 
relations  to  God.  Lay  it  all  open,  not  for  the  purpose  of 
offending  or  wounding  him,  but  because  it  is  necessary.  Be- 
fore you  can  cure  a  wound,  you  must  probe  it  to  the  bottom. 
Keep  back  none  of  the  truth,  but  let  it  come  out  plainly  before 
him. 

(5.)  Be  sure  to  address  his  conscience  In  pubUc  addresses, 
ministers  often  get  hold  of  the  feelings  only,  and  thus  awaken 
the  mind.  But  in  private  conversation  you  cannot  do  so. 
You  cannot  pour  out  the  truth  in  an  impassioned  and  rousing 
manner.  And  unless  you  address  the  conscience  pointedly, 
you  get  no  hold  of  the  mind  at  all. 

(6.)  Bring  the  great  and  fundamental  (ruths  to  beax  upon  the 
person's  mind-  Sinners  are  very  apt  to  run  off  upon  some 
pretext  or  some  subordinate  point,  especially  some  point  of 
sectarianism.  For  instance,  if  the  man  is  a  Presbyterian,  he 
will  try  to  turn  the  conversation  on  the  points  of  difference 
between  Presbyterians  and  Methodists.  Or  he  will  fall  foul 
of  old  school  divinity.  Do  not  yield  to  him,  or  talk  with  him 
on  any  such  point ;  it  will  do  more  huri  than  good.  Tell  him 
the  present  business  is  to  save  his  soul,  and  not  to  settle  con- 
troverted questions  in  theology.  Hold  him  to  the  great  fun- 
damental points,  by  which  he  must  be  saved  or  lost. 

(7.)  Be  very  patienL  If  he  has  a  real  difficulty  in  his  mind, 
be  veiy  patient  till  you  find  out  what  it  is,  and  then  clear  it 
up.  n  what  he  alleges  is  a  mere  cavil,  make  him  see  that  it 
is  a  caviL  Do  not  try  to  answer  it  by  argument,  but  show 
him  that  he  is  not  sincere  in  advancing  it  It  is  not  worth 
while  to  spend  your  time  in  arguing  against  a  cavil,  but  make 
him  feel  that  he  is  committing  sin  to  plead  it,  and  thus  euiist 
his  conscience  on  your  side. 

(8.)  Be  careful  to  uuard  your  cvm  spiriL  There  are  mani 
7* 


154  ,     TO   WIN    SOUXS   RUQUTRES    WISDOM. 

people  who  have  not  good  temper  enough  to  converse  witJs 
those  who  are  much  opposed  to  religion.  And  such  a  person 
wants  no  better  triumph  than  to  see  you  angry.  He  will  go 
away  exulting  because  he  has  made  one  of  these  saints  mad. 

(9.)  If  the  sinner  is  inclined  to  intrench  himself  against 
God,  be  careful  not  to  take  his  part  in  anything.  If  he  says  he 
cannot  do  his  duty,  do  not  take  sides  with  him,  or  say  any- 
thing to  countenance  his  falsehood.  Do  not  tell  him  he  can- 
not, or  help  him  maintain  himself  in  the  controversy  against 
his  Maker.  Sometimes  a  careless  sinner  will  go  to  finding 
fault  with  Christians.  Do  not  take  his  part  or  side  with  him 
against  Christians.  Just  tell  him  he  has  not  got  their  sins  to 
answer  for,  and  he  had  better  see  to  his  own  concerns.  If 
you  fall  in  with  him,  he  feels  that  he  has  you  on  his  side. 
Show  him  that  it  is  a  censorious  and  wicked  spirit  that 
prompts  him  to  make  these  remarks,  and  not  a  regard  for 
the  honor  of  religion  or  the  laws  of  Jesus  Christ. 

(10. )  Bring  up  the  individual's  particular  mis.  Talking  in 
general  terms  against  sin  will  produce  no  results.  You  must 
make  a  man  feel  that  ypu  mean  him,  A  minister  who  cannot 
make  his  hearers  feel  that  he  means  them,  cannot  expect  to 
accomphsh  much.  Some  people  are  very  careful  to  avoid 
mentioning  the  particular  sins  of  which  they  know  the  indi- 
vidual to  be  guilty,  for  fear  of  hurting  his  feelings.  This  is 
wrong.  If  you  know  his  history,  bring  up  his  particular  sins, 
kindly  but  plainly,  not  to  give  offence,  but  to  awaken  con- 
science, and  give  full  force  to  the  truth. 

(11.)  It  is  generally  best  to  be  short,  and  not  spin  out  what 
we  have  to  say.  Get  the  attention  as  soon  as  you  can  to  the 
very  point,  say  a  few  things  and  press  them  home,  and  bring 
the  matter  to  an  issue.  If  possible,  get  them  to  repent  and 
give  themselves  to  Christ  at  the  time.  This  is  the  proper 
issue.  Carefully  avoid  making  an  impression  that  you  do  not 
expect  them  to  repent  NOW. 

(12.)  If  possible,  when  you  converse  with  sinners,  be  sure 
to  pray  with  them.  If  you  converse  with  them,  and  leave 
them  without  praying,  you  leave  your  work  undone. 

n.  The  manner  of  deahng  with  awakened  sinners. 

1.  You  should  be  careful  to  distinguish  between  an 
awakened  sinner,  and  one  who  is  under  conviction.  When 
you  find  a  person  who  feels  a  httle  on  the  subject  of  religion, 
do  not  take  it  for  granted  that  he  is  convicted  of  sin,  and  thus 
omit  to  use  means  to  show  him  his  sin.  Persons  are  often 
awakened  by  some  providential  ch-cumstance,  as  sickness,  a 
thunderstorm,  pestilence,  death  in  the  family,  disappoint 


TO    WIN    SOTJLS    REQUTRES    WISDOM.  161 

ment,  or  the  like,  or  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  so  that  their  earn 
are  open,  and  they  are  ready  to  hear  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion with  attention  and  seriousness,  and  some  feeling.  If 
you  find  a  person  awakened,  no  matter  by  what  means,  lose 
no  time  in  pouring  light  upon  his  mind.  Do  not  be  afraid,  but 
show  him  the  breadth  of  the  Divine  law,  and  the  exceeding 
strictness  of  its  precepts.  Make  him  see  how  it  condemns 
his  thoughts  and  hfe.  Search  out  his  heart,  find  what  is 
there,  and  bring  it  up  before  his  mind,  as  far  as  you  can.  If 
possible,  melt  him  down  on  the  spot.  When  once  you  have 
got  a  sinner's  attention,  very  often  his  conviction  and  con- 
version is  the  work  of  a  few  moments.  You  can  sometimes 
do  more  in  five  minutes,  than  in  years  or  a  whole  life  while 
he  is  careless  or  indifferent. 

I  have  been  amazed  at  the  conduct  of  those  cruel  parents, 
and  other  heads  of  families,  who  will  let  an  awakened  sinner 
be  in  their  famihes  for  days  and  weeks,  and  not  say  a  word 
to  him  on  the  subject.  Why,  they  say,  if  the  Spirit  of  God 
has  begun  a  work  in  him,  he  will  certainly  carry  it  on  I  Per- 
haps the  person  is  an3dous  to  converse,  and  puts  himself  in 
the  way  of  Christians,  as  often  as  possible,  expecting  they 
will  converse  with  him,  and  they  do  not  say  a  word.  Amaz- 
ing 1  Such  a  person  ought  to  be  looked  out  immediately,  as 
soon  as  he  is  awakened,  and  let  a  blaze  of  light  be  poured  into 
his  mind  without  delay.  ^Tienever  you  have  reason  to  believe 
that  a  person  withia  your  reach  is  awakened,  do  not  sleep 
till  you  have  poui'ed  in  the  hght  upon  his  mind,  and  tried  to 
bring  h\m  to  immechate  repentance.  Then  is  the  time  to 
press  the  subject  with  effect.  If  that  favorable  moment  ia 
lost,  it  can  never  be  recovered. 

I  have  often  seen  Christians  in  revivals,  who  were  con- 
stantly on  the  look-out  to  see  if  any  persons  appeared  to  be 
awakened-     And  as  soon  as  they  saw  any  one  begin  to  mani 
fest  feeling  under  preaching,  they  would  mark  him,  and  as 
soon  as  the  meeting  was  out,  invite  him  to  a  room  and  con- 
verse and  pray  with  him,  and  if  possible  not  leave  him  till  he 
was  converted.     A  remarkable  case  of  this  Innd  occurred  in 
a  town  at  the  West.     A  merchant  came  to  the  place  from  a 
distance  to  buy  goods.     It  was  a  time  of  powerful  revival, 
but  he  was  determined  to  keep  out  of  its  iofluence,  and  so  he 
Irould  not  go  to  any  meeting  at  aU.     At  length  he  found 
K^erybody  so  much  engaged  ia  religion  that  it  met  him  at 
>very  turn,  and  he  got  vexed,  and  swore  he  would  go  home, 
rhere  was  so  much  reUgion  there,  he  said,  he  could  not  do 
any  business,  and  he  would  not  stay.     Accordingly  he  took 


156  TO   WTK    SOTTLS    REQUIRES    WISDOM. 

his  seat  for  the  stage,  which  was  to  leave  at  fonr  o'clod:  ilM 
next  morning.  As  he  spoke  of  going  away,  a  gentleman  h^ 
longing  to  the  house,  who  was  one  of  the  young  converts, 
asked  him  if  he  would  not  go  to  a  meeting  once  before  he 
left  town.  He  finally  consented,  and  went  to  the  meeting. 
The  sermon  took  hold  of  his  mind,  but  not  with  sufficient 
power  to  bring  him  into  the  kingdom.  He  returned  to  his 
lodgings,  and  called  the  landlord  to  pay  his  bill.  The  land- 
lord, who  had  himself  recently  experienced  religion,  saw  that 
he  was  agitated.  He  accordingly  spoke  to  him  on  the  subject 
of  rehgion,  and  the  man  burst  into  tears.  The  landlord  im- 
mediately called  in  three  or  four  young  converts,  and  they 
prayed  and  exhorted  him,  and  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
when  the  stage  called,  he  went  on  his  way  rejoicing  in  God  ! 
When  he  got  home,  he  called  his  family  together,  confessed 
to  them  his  past  sins,  and  avowed  his  determination  to  live 
differently,  and  prayed  with  them  for  the  first  time.  It  was 
so  unexpected  that  it  was  soon  noised  abroad,  people  began 
to  inquire,  and  a  revival  broke  out  in  the  place.  Now,  sup- 
pose these  Christians  had  done  as  some  do,  been  careless, 
and  let  the  man  go  off,  sHghtly  impressed  ?  It  is  not  prob- 
able he  ever  could  have  been  saved.  Such  opportunities  are 
often  lost  for  ever,  when  once  the  favorable  moment  is  passed. 

TTT.  The  manner  of  dealing  with  convicted  sinners. 

By  a  convicted  sinner  I  mean  one  who  feels  himself  con- 
demned by  the  law  of  God,  as  a  guilty  sinner.  He  has  so 
much  instiTiction  as  to  understand  something  of  the  extent 
of  God's  law,  and  he  sees  and  feels  his  gmlty  state,  and 
knows  what  his  remedy  is.  To  deal  with  these  often  requires 
great  wisdom.  There  are  some  most  trying  cases  occur, 
when  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  know  what  to  do  with  them. 

1.  "When  a  person  is  convicted  and  not  converted^  but  re- 
mains in  an  anxious  state,  there  is  generally  some  specific 
reason  for  it.  In  such  cases,  it  does  no  good  to  exhort  him 
to  repent,  or  to  explain  the  law  to  him.  He  knows  all  that, 
he  understands  all  these  general  pointa  But  still  he  does 
not  repent.  Now  there  must  be  some  particular  difficulty  to 
overcome.  You  may  preach  and  pray,  and  exhort  till  dooms- 
day, and  not  gain  anything. 

You  must  then  set  yourself  to  inquire  what  is  that  parti- 
cular difficulty.  A  physician,  when  he  is  called  to  a  patient, 
and  finds  him  sick  with  a  particular  chsease,  first  adnunisterg 
the  general  remedies  that  are  apphcable  to  that  disease.  If 
they  produce  no  effect,  and  the  disease  stiU  continues,  h€ 
must  examine  the  case,  and  learn  the  constitution  of  the  in- 


fO    WIN    SOULS    I1EQU1RK3    WISDOM.  15'« 

dividual,  and  his  habits,  diet,  maimer  of  living,  etx^,  and  see 
what  the  matter  is  that  the  medicine  does  not  take  effect 
So  it  is  with  the  case  of  a  siimer  convicted  but  not  converted. 
If  your  ordinary  instructions  and  exhortations  fail,  there 
must  be  a  difficulty.  The  particular  difficulty  is  often  known 
to  the  individual  himself,  though  he  keeps  it  concealed. 
Sometimes  it  is  something  that  has  escaped  even  his  own 
observation. 

(1.)  Sometimes  the  individual  has  some  idol,  something 
which  he  loves  more  than  God,  which  prevents  him  from  giv- 
ing himself  up.  You  must  search  out  and  see  what  it  is  that 
he  will  not  give  up.  Perhaps  it  is  wealth,  perhaps  some 
eai'thly  friend,  perhaps  gay  dress,  or  gay  company,  or  some 
favorite  amusement  At  any  rate  tiiere  is  something  on 
which  his  heai*t  is  so  set  tliat  he  will  not  yield  to  God. 

(2.)  Perhaps  he  has  done  an  injury  to  some  individual, 
that  calls  fox  redi'ess,  and  he  is  unwilling  to  confess  it  or  to 
make  a  just  recompense.  Now,  until  he  will  confess  and  for- 
sake this  sin,  he  can  find  no  mercy.  If  he  has  injured  the 
person  in  property,  or  character,  or  has  abused  him,  he  must 
make  it  up.  If  you  can  find  it  out,  tell  him  plainly  and 
fi-ankly,  that  there  is  no  hope  for  him  till  he  is  willing  to 
confess  it,  and  to  do  what  is  right 

(3.)  Sometimes  there  is  some  particular  sin,  which  he  will 
not  forsake.  He  pretends  it  is  only  a  small  one,  or  tries  to 
persuade  himself  it  is  no  sui.  No  matter  how  small  it  is,  he 
can  never  get  uito  the  kingdom  of  God  till  he  gives  it  up. 
Tometimes  an  individual  has  seen  it  to  be  a  sin  to  use  tobacco, 
and  he  never  can  find  true  peace  till  he  gives  it  up.  Perhaps 
be  is  looking  upon  it  as  a  small  sin. 

But  God  knows  nothing  about  small  sins  in  such  a  case. 
What  is  the  sin  ?  Why  it  is  injuring  your  health,  setting  a 
bad  example,  and  taking  God's  money,  which  you  are  bound 
to  employ  in  his  service,  and  spending  it  for  tobacco.  What 
would  a  merchant  say,  if  he  found  one  of  his  clerks  in  the 
habit  of  going  to  the  money  drawer,  and  taking  money 
enough  to  keep  him  in  cigars  ?  Would  he  call  it  a  small 
offence  ?  No,  he  would  say  he  deserved  to  be  sent  to  the 
State  prison.  I  mention  this  particuLu:  sin,  because  I  have 
found  it  to  be  one  of  the  thiugs  to  which  men  who  are  con- 
victed will  hold  on  when  they  know  it  is  wrong,  and  then 
wonder  why  they  do  not  find  peaca 

(4. )  See  if  there  is  not  some  work  of  remuneration,  which 
he  is  bound  to  do.  Perhai^a  he  has  deii*auded  somebody  ir 
tr&de^  oar  tpik^^n  n^pi^  nnitLi-r  advantage,  coiiQ*ary  to  tKa  ociildei 


156  TO    WIN    SOULS    REQUIRES    WI8DOWU 

nale  of  doing  as  ^-ou  would  be  done  by,  and  is  unwilling  tfi 
make  satisfaction.  This  is  a  very  common  sin  among  mer- 
chants and  men  of  business.  I  have  known  many  melancholy 
instances,  where  men  have  giieved  away  the  Spirit  of  God, 
or  else  have  been  driven  well  nigh  to  absolute  despair  because 
they  were  unwilling  to  give  satisfaction  where  they  had  done 
such  tilings.  Now  it  is  plain  that  such  persons  never  can 
have  forgiveness  until  they  do  it. 

(5.)  They  may  have  intrenched  themselves  somewhere,  and 
fortified  their  minds  in  regard  to  some  particular  point,  which 
they  are  determined  not  to  yield.  For  instance,  they  may 
have  taken  strong  ground  that  they  will  not  do  a  particular 
thing.  I  knew  a  man  who  was  determined  not  to  go  into  a 
certain  grove  to  pray.  Several  other  persons  during  the  re- 
vival had  gone  into  the  grove,  and  there,  by  prayer  and  medi- 
tation, given  themselves  to  God.  His  own  clerk  had  been 
converted  there.  The  lawyer  himself  was  awakened,  but  he 
was  determined  that  he  would  not  go  into  the  gi'ove.  He  had 
powerful  convictions,  and  went  on  for  weeks  in  this  way,  with 
no  relief.  He  tried  to  make  God  beheve  that  it  was  not  pride 
that  kept  him  from  Christ ;  and  so,  when  he  was  going  home 
from  meeting,  he  would  kneel  down  in  the  street  and  pray. 
And  not  only  that,  but  he  would  look  round  for  a  mud-puddle 
in  the  street,  in  which  he  might  kneel,  to  show  that  he  was 
not  proud.  He  once  prayed  aU  night  in  his  parlor,  but  he 
would  not  go  into  the  grove.  His  distress  was  so  great,  and 
he  was  so  angry  with  God,  that  he  was  strongly  tempted  to 
make  way  with  himself,  and  actually  threw  away  his  knife  for 
fear  he  should  cut  his  throat  At  length  he  concluded  he 
would  go  into  the  grove  and  pray,  and  as  soon  as  he  got  there 
he  was  converted,  and  went  and  poured  out  his  fuU  heart  to 
God. 

So  individuals  are  sometimes  intrenched  in  a  determination 
that  they  will  not  go  to  a  particular  meeting,  perhaps  the  in- 
quiry meeting,  or  some  prayer  meeting,  or  they  will  not  have 
a  certain  person  pray  with  them,  or  they  will  not  take  a  par- 
ticular seat,  such  as  the  anxious  seat  They  say  that  they  can 
be  converted  just  as  well  without  yielding  this  point,  for  relig- 
ion does  not  consist  in  this,  going  to  a  particular  meeting,  or 
taking  a  particular  attitude  in  prayer,  or  a  particular  seat 
This  is  true,  but  by  taking  this  groimd  they  make  it  the  mate- 
rial poini  And  so  long  as  they  are  iatrenched  there,  and 
determined  to  bring  God  to  their  terms,  they  never  can  be 
convtu-ted.  Sinners  will  often  yield  any  thing  else,  and  do 
uny  thing  in  the  world,  but  yield  the  point  upon  which  they 


TO    WIN    SOULS    BBQUIBSS    WISDOM.  151 

have  oorainitted  themselves,  and  taken  a  stand  against  God 
They  cannot  be  humbled  until  they  yield  this  point,  whatever 
it  is.  And  if  without  yielding  it  they  get  a  hope,  it  will  be  a 
false  hope. 

(6.)  Perhaps  he  has  a  prejudice  against  some  one,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  church  perhaps,  on  account  of  some  faithful  dealing 
with  his  soul,  or  something  in  his  business  that  he  did  not 
hke,  and  he  hangs  on  this  and  will  never  be  converted  till  he 
gives  it  up.  Whatever  it  be,  you  should  search  it  out  and  tell 
him  the  truth  plainly  and  faithfully. 

(7.)  He  may  feel  ill  will  towards  some  one,  or  be  angry, 
and  cherish  strong  feelings  of  resentment,  which  prevent  hiitn 
from  obtaining  mercy  from  God.  "  And  when  ye  stand  pray* 
ing,  forgive,  if  ye  have  aught  against  any  :  that  your  Father 
also  which  is  in  heaven  may  forgive  you  your  trespasses. 
But,  if  ye  do  not  forgive,  neither  wiU  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven  forgive  your  trespasses." 

(8.)  Perhaps  he  entertains  some  errors  in  doctrine,  or  some 
wrong  notions  respecting  the  thing  to  be  dories  or  the  way  of 
doing  it,  which  may  be  keeping  him  out  of  the  kingdom.  Per- 
haps he  is  waiting  for  Grod.  He  is  convinced  that  he  deserve 
to  go  to  hell,  and  that  unless  he  is  convei-ted  he  must  go  there, 
but  he  is  waiting  for  God  to  do  something  to  him  before  he 
submits.  He  is  in  fact  waiting  for  God  to  do  for  him  what  he 
has  required  the  sinner  to  do. 

He  may  be  waiting  for  more  conviction.  People  often  do 
not  know  what  conviction  is,  and  think  they  are  not  under 
conviction,  when  in  fact  they  are  under  powerful  conviction. 
They  often  think  nothing  is  conviction  unless  they  have  great 
fears  of  hell.  But  the  fact  is,  individuals  often  have  strong 
convictions,  who  have  very  httle  fear  of  helL  Show  them 
what  is  the  truth,  and  let  them  see  they  have  no  need  to  wait 

Perhaps  he  may  be  waiting  for  certain  feelings,  which  some- 
body else  has  had  before  he  obtained  mercy.  This  is  very 
common  in  revivals,  where  some  one  of  the  first  converts  has 
told  of  remarkable  experiences.  Others  who  are  awakened 
are  very  apt  to  think  they  must  wait  for  just  such  feelings.  I 
knew  a  young  man  thus  awakened  ;  his  companion  had  been 
converted  in  a  remarkable  way,  and  this  one  was  waiting  for 
just  such  feelings.  He  said  he  was  using  the  means,  and 
praying  for  them,  but  finally  found  that  he  was  a  Christian, 
although  he  had  not  been  through  the  course  of  feeling  he 
expected. 

Sinners  often  lay  out  a  plan  of  the  way  they  expect  to  fe^ 
and  how  they  expect  to  be  converted,  and  in  fact  lay  out  th€ 


100  TO    WIN    SOULS    REQUIRES    WISDOM. 

work  for  God,  deterroined  that  they  will  go  in  that  path  or 
not  at  all.  Tell  them  this  is  all  wrong,  they  must  not  lay  out 
any  such  path  beforehand,  but  let  God  lead  them  as  he  sees 
to  be  best  God  always  leads  the  blind  by  a  way  they  know 
not.  There  never  was  a  sinner  brought  into  the  kingdom 
through  such  a  course  of  feeling  as  he  expected.  Very  ofteii 
they  are  amazed  to  find  that  they  are  in,  and  have  had  no 
such  exercises  as  they  expected. 

It  is  very  common  for  persons  to  be  waiting  to  be  mside 
subjects  of  prayer,  or  for  some  particular  means  to  be  used, 
or  to  see  if  they  cannot  make  themselves  better.  They  are 
so  wicked,  they  say,  that  they  can  not  come  to  Christ.  They 
want  to  try,  by  humiliation,  and  suffering,  and  prayer,  to  fit 
themselves  to  come.  You  wiU  have  to  hunt  them  out  of  all 
these  refuges.  It  is  astonishing  into  how  many  comers  they 
will  often  run  before  they  will  go  to  Christ,  I  have  known 
persons  almost  deranged  for  the  want  of  a  little  con-ect  in  • 
struction. 

Sometimes  such  people  think  their  sins  are  too  great  to  be 
forgiven,  or  that  they  have  grieved  the  Spuit  of  God  away, 
when  that  Spirit  is  ah  the  wMle  convicting  them.  They  pre 
tend  their  sins  are  greater  than  Christ's  mercies,  thus  actually 
insulting  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Sometimes  sinners  get  the  idea  that  they  are  given  up  ol 
God,  and  that  now  they  cannot  be  saved.  It  is  often  \ery 
difficult  to  beat  persons  off  from  this  ground.  Many  of  the 
most  distressing  cases  I  have  ever  met  with  have  been  of  thi& 
character,  where  persons  would  insist  upon  it  they  were  given 
up  and  nothing  would  change  them. 

In  a  place  where  I  was  laboring  in  a  revival  I  went  one 
day  into  the  meeting,  and  before  the  exercises  commenced  1 
heard  a  low  moaning,  distressing,  unearthly  noise.  I  looked 
and  saw  several  women  gathered  round  the  person  who  made 
it.  They  said  it  was  a  woman  in  despair.  She  had  been  a 
long  time  in  that  state.  Her  husband  was  a  drunkard.  He 
had  brought  her  to  meeting  and  gone  himself  to  the  tavern. 
I  conversed  with  her  and  saw  her  state,  and  that  it  was  very 
difficult  to  reach  her  casa  As  I  was  going  away  to  commence 
the  exercises  she  said  she  must  go  out,  for  she  could  not  hear 

f)raying  or  siiiging.  I  told  her  she  must  not  go,  and  told  the 
adies  to  detain  her,  if  necessary,  by  force.  I  felt  that  if  the 
devil  had  hold  of  her,  God  was  stronger  than  the  devil,  and 
could  dehver  her.  The  exercises  began,  and  she  made  some 
ttoise  at  first.  But  by  and  by  she  looked  up.  The  subject 
was  chosen  with  special  reference  to  her  case,  and  as  it  pre 


TO    WUr   SOITLS    REQUTBRS   WISDOM.  161 

oeeded,  her  attention  was  gained,  her  eyes  were  fixed — ^I  never 
shall  forget  how  she  looked — her  eyes  and  mouth  open,  her 
head  up,  and  she  almost  rose  from  her  seat  as  the  tmth  poured 
in  upon  her  mind.  Finally,  as  the  truth  knocked  away  every 
foundation  on  which  her  despair  had  rested,  she  shrieked  out, 
put  her  head  down,  and  sat  perfectly  still  till  the  meeting  was 
out  I  went  to  her,  and  foimd  her  perfectly  calm  and  happy 
in  God-  I  saw  her  long  afterwards,  and  she  remained  so. 
Thus  Providence  tlu-ew  her  where  she  never  expected  to  be, 
and  compelled  her  to  hear  instruction  adapted  to  her  case. 
You  may  often  do  incalculable  good  by  finding  out  precisely 
where  the  difficulty  lies,  and  then  bring  the  truth  to  bear  right 
on  that  point 

Sometimes  persons  will  strenuously  maintain  that  they  have 
committed  the  unpardonable  sin.  \\Tien  they  get  that  idea 
into  their  minds,  they  will  turn  every  thing  you  say  against 
themselves.  In  some  such  cases,  it  is  a  good  way  to  take 
them  on  their  own  ground,  and  reason  with  them  in  this  way; 
"Suppose  you  have  committed  the  unpardonable  sin,  what 
then  ?  It  is  reasonable  that  you  should  submit  to  God,  and 
be  sorry  for  your  sins,  and  break  oif  fi'om  them,  and  do  all 
the  good  you  can,  even  if  God  wiU  not  forgive  you.  Even  if 
you  go  to  hell,  you  ought  to  do  this."  Press  this  thought  and 
turn  it  over  until  you  find  they  understand  and  consent  to  it 

It  is  common  for  persons  in  such  cases  to  keep  their  eyes 
on  themselves  ;  they  will  shut  themselves  up  and  keep  look- 
ing at  their  own  darkness,  instead  of  looldng  away  to  Christ 
Now  if  you  can  take  their  minds  off  fi'om  themselves,  and  get 
them  to  think  of  Christ,  you  may  di'aw  them  away  from  brood- 
ing over  their  own  present  feelings,  and  get  them  to  lay  hold 
on  the  hope  set  before  them  in  the  Gospel 

2.  Be  careful,  in  conversing  with  convicted  sinners,  not  to 
maJce  any  compromise  with  them  on  any  point  where  they 
have  a  difficulty.  If  you  do,  they  wiU  be  sure  to  take  advan- 
tage of  it,  and  thus  get  a  false  hope.  Convicted  sinners  often 
get  into  a  difficulty,  in  regard  to  giving  up  some  darling  sin, 
or  yielding  some  point  where  conscience  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
are  at  war  with  them.  And  if  they  come  across  an  individual 
who  wiU  yield  the  point,  they  feel  better  and  are  happy,  and 
think  they  are  convei'ted.  The  young  man  who  came  to 
Christ  was  of  this  chai'acter.  He  had  one  difficulty,  and  Jesus 
Christ  knew  just  what  it  was.  He  knew  he  loved  his  money, 
and  instead  of  compromising  the  matter  and  thus  trying  to 
comfort  him,  he  just  put  his  finger  on  the  very  place  and  told 
him,  "  Go  sell  all  that  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and 


102  TO    WIN    SOTTLS   EEQFIEES    WISDOM. 

md  come  follow  me."  What  was  the  effect?  Why  the  jocmg 
man  went  away  sorrowful.  Very  likely,  if  Christ  had  told 
Vnni  to  do  any  thing  else,  he  would  have  felt  relieved,  and 
would  have  got  a  hope  ;  would  have  professed  himself  a  dis- 
ciple, joined  the  church,  and  gone  to  hell. 

People  are  often  amazingly  anxious  to  make  a  compromise. 
They  vpill  ask  such  questions  as  this,  Whether  you  do  not 
think  a  person  may  be  a  Christian  and  yet  do  such  and  such 
thiugs  ;  or  if  he  may  not  be  a  Christian  and  not  do  such  and 
such  thiugs  ?  Now,  do  not  yield  an  iuch  to  any  such  ques- 
tions. These  questions  themselves  may  often  show  you  the 
very  point  that  is  laboring  ia  their  minds.  They  wiH  show 
you  that  it  is  pride,  or  love  of  the  world,  or  something  of  the 
kind,  which  prevents  their  becoming  Christians. 

Be  careful  to  make  thorough  work  on  this  point,  the  love 
of  the  world.  I  beheve  there  have  been  more  false  hopes 
built  on  wrong  instructions  here,  than  m.  any  other  way.  I 
once  heard  a  Doctor  of  Divinity  trying  to  persuade  his  hearers 
to  give  up  the  world  ;  and  he  told  them  "  if  they  would  only 
give  it  up,  God  would  give  it  right  back  to  them  again.  He 
is  willing  you  should  enjoy  the  world."  Miserable  I  God 
never  gives  back  the  world  to  the  Christian,  in  the  same 
sense  that  he  requires  a  convicted  sinner  to  give  it  up.  He 
requires  us  to  give  up  the  ownership  of  everything  to  him,  so 
that  we  shall  never  again  for  a  moment  consider  it  as  our  awn. 
A  man  must  not  think  he  has  a  right  to  judge  for  himself 
how  much  of  his  property  he  shall  lay  out  for  God.  One 
man  thinks  he  may  spend  twenty  thousand  dollars  a  year  to 
support  his  family  ;  he  has  a  right  to  do  it,  because  he  has 
the  means  of  his  own.  Another  thinks  he  may  lay  up  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars.  One  man  said  the  other  day,  that 
he  had  promised  he  never  would  give  any  of  his  property  to 
educate  young  men  for  the  ministry.  When  he  is  apphed  to, 
he  just  answers,  "  I  have  said  I  never  wiU  give  to  any  such 
object,  and  I  never  wilL"  Man  I  did  Jesus  Christ  ever  tell 
you  to  do  so  with  his  money  f  Has  he  laid  down  any  such 
rule  ?  Remember  it  is  his  money  you  are  talking  about,  and 
if  he  wants  it  to  educate  ministers,  you  withhold  it  at  your 
periL  That  man  has  yet  to  learn  the  first  principle  of  re- 
ligion, that  he  is  not  his  own,  and  that  the  money  which  he 
possesses  is  Jesus  Christ's. 

Here  is  the  great  reason  why  the  church  is  so  fuU  of  false 
hopes.  Men  have  been  left  to  suppose  they  could  be  Chris- 
tians while  holding  on  to  their  money.  And  this  has  served 
OS  a  clog  to  every  enterprise.    It  is  an  undoubted  fact  tha^^ 


TO    WTtH   SCCTLS   BEQUIBES    WISDOM.  16S 

the  chnrch  has  funds  enough  to  supply  the  world  with  Bibles, 
and  tracts,  and  missionaries,  immediately.  But  the  truth  is, 
that  professors  of  religion  do  not  believe  that  the  "  earth  ii 
the  Lord's,  and  the  fullness  thereof."  Every  man  supposes 
he  has  a  right  to  decide  what  appropriation  he  shall  make  of 
his  own  money.  And  they  have  no  idea  that  Jesus  Christ 
shall  dictate  to  them  on  the  subject 

Be  sui-e  to  deal  thoroughly  on  this  point.  The  church  is 
now  filled  up  with  hypocrites,  because  fliey  were  never  made 
to  give  up  the  world.  They  never  were  made  to  see  that  un- 
less they  made  an  entii-e  consecration  of  all  to  Christ,  all 
their  time,  all  their  talents,  all  their  influence,  all  their  pos- 
sessions, they  would  never  get  to  heaven.  Many  think  tiiey 
can  be  Christians,  and  yet  dream  along  through  life,  and  use 
all  their  time  and  property  for  themselves,  only  giving  a  httle 
now  and  then,  to  save  appearances,  when  they  can  do  it 
with  perfect  convenience.  But  it  is  a  sad  mistake,  and  they 
will  find  it  so,  if  they  do  not  employ  their  energies  for  God. 
And  when  they  die,  instead  of  finding  heaven  at  the  end  of 
the  path  they  are  pui'suing,  they  will  find  hell  there. 

In  dealing  with  a  convicted  sinner,  be  sure  to  drive  him 
away  from  every  refuge,  and  not  leave  him  an  inch  of  ground 
to  stand  on,  so  long  as  he  resists  God.  This  need  not  take 
a  long  time  to  do.  When  the  Spirit  of  God  is  at  work  striv- 
ing with  a  sinner,  it  is  easy  to  drive  him  from  his  refugea 
You  will  find  the  truth  will  be  like  a  hammer,  crushing  where* 
ever  it  strikes.  Make  dean  work  with  it,  so  that  he  shall 
give  up  all  for  God. 

Make  the  sinner  see  clearly  the  nature  and  extent  of  the 
Divine  law,  and  press  the  main  question  of  entire  submission 
to  God.  Bear  down  on  that  point  as  soon  as  you  have  made 
hiiTi  cleai'ly  understand  what  you  aim  at,  and  do  not  turn  off 
upon  anything  else. 

Be  careful  in  illustrating  the  subject,  not  to  mislead  the 
mind  so  as  to  leave  the  impression  that  a  selfish  submission 
will  answer,  or  a  selfish  acceptance  of  the  atonement,  or  a 
selfish  giving  up  to  Christ  and  receiving  him,  as  if  a  man 
was  making  a  good  bargain,  giving  up  his  sins  and  receiving 
salvation  in  exchange.  This  is  mere  barter,  and  not  submis- 
sion to  God.  Leave  no  ground  in  your  explanations  or  iirus- 
trations,  for  such  a  view  of  the  matter.  Man's  selfish  heart 
will  eagerly  seize  such  a  view  of  religion,  if  it  be  presented, 
and  very  hkely  close  in  with  it,  and  thus  get  a  false  hope. 

Another  time  I  shall  call  your  attention  to  certain  things 
that  are  to  be  auo/ided  in  dealing  with  sinners. 


164  TO   WIN    SOULS    BEQUIBSS    WISDOM. 


BEMABES. 


1.  Make  it  an  object  of  constant  study  and  of  daily  reflection 
and  prayer,  to  learn  how  to  deal  with  sinners,  so  as  to  pro« 
mote  their  conversion.  It  is  the  great  business  on  earth  of 
every  Christian,  to  save  souls.  People  often  complain  thai 
they  do  not  know  how  to  take  hold  of  this  matter.  Why,  the 
reason  is  plain  enough  ;  they  have  never  studied  it  They 
never  took  the  proper  pains  to  qualify  themselves  for  the 
work  of  saving  souls.  If  people  made  it  no  more  a  matter 
of  attention  and  thought  to  qualify  themselves  for  their 
worldly  business,  than  they  do  to  save  souls,  how  do  you 
think  they  would  succeed  ?  Now,  if  you  are  thus  neglecting 
the  main  business  of  life,  what  are  you  living  for  ?  If  you 
do  not  make  it  a  matter  of  study,  how  you  may  most  success- 
fully act  in  building  up  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  you  are  a<it- 
ing  a  very  wicked  and  absurd  part  as  a  Christian. 

2.  Many  professors  of  rehgion  do  more  hurt  than  good,  when 
they  attempt  to  talk  to  impenitent  sinners.  They  have  so 
httle  knowledge  and  skill,  that  their  remarks  rather  divert 
attention  than  increase  it 

3.  Be  careful  to  find  the  poiyU  ichere  the  Spirit  of  God  is 
pressing  a  sinner,  and  press  the  same  point  in  all  your  re' 
marks.  If  you  divert  his  attention  from  that  point,  you  will 
be  in  great  danger  of  destroying  his  convictions.  Take  pains 
to  learn  the  state  of  his  mind,  what  he  is  thinking  of,  how  h6 
feels,  and  what  he  feels  most  deeply  upon,  and  then  pres& 
that  thoroughly,  and  do  not  divert  his  mind  by  talking  about 
anything  else.  Do  not  fear  to  press  that  point,  for  fear  of 
driving  him  to  distraction.  Some  people  fear  to  press  a  point 
to  which  the  mind  is  trembhngly  alive,  lest  they  should  injure 
the  mind,  notwithstanding  the  Spirit  of  God  is  evidently  de- 
bating that  point  with  the  sinner.  This  is  an  attempt  to  be 
wiser  than  God.  You  should  clear  up  the  point,  throw  the 
light  of  truth  all  around  it,  and  bring  the  soul  to  yield,  and 
then  the  mind  is  at  rest 

4.  Great  evils  have  arisen,  and  many  false  hopes  have  been 
created  by  not  discriminoiing  between  an  awakened  and  a  con- 
victed  sinner.  For  the  want  of  this,  persons  who  are  only 
awakened  are  immediately  pressed  to  submit ;  "  you  must  re- 
pent," "  submit  to  God,"  when  they  are  not  in  fact  convinced 
of  their  guilt,  nor  instructed  so  far  as  even  to  know  what 
submission  means.  This  is  one  .way  in  which  revivals  have 
been  greatly  injm-ed  by  indiscruninate  exhortations  to  repeui^ 
'inaccompaiii&a  with  proper  instruction. 


TO    WIN    SOUi.n    aJSQUIRES    WISDOM.  16& 

6.  Anxions  fdnners  are  to  be  regarded  as  being  in  a  very 
wlemn  and  crUicd  date.  They  have  in  fact  come  to  a  turning 
point  It  is  a  time  when  their  destiny  is  Kkely  to  be  settled 
for  ever.  The  Spirit  of  God  will  not  strive  always.  Chris- 
tians ouglit  to  feel  deeply  for  them.  In  many  respects  theii' 
circumstances  aie  more  solemn  than  the  judgment  day.  Here 
their  destiny  is  settled.  The  judgment  day  reveals  it  And 
the  particular  time  when  it  is  done  is  when  the  Spirit  is  striv- 
ing with  them.  Christians  should  remember  their  awful  re- 
sponsiV)ihty  at  such  times.  The  physician,  if  he  knows  any- 
thing of  liis  duty,  sometimes  feels  himself  under  a  very  solemn 
responsibility.  His  patient  is  in  a  critical  state,  where  a  Httle 
error  will  destroy  life,  and  he  hangs  quivering  between  life 
and  death.  If  such  responsibUity  is  felt  in  relation  to  the 
body,  what  awful  responsibility  should  be  felt  in  relation  to  the 
soul,  when  it  is  seen  to  hang  trembling  on  a  poiat,  and  ita 
destiny  is  now  to  be  decided,  One  false  impression,  one  in- 
discreet remark,  one  sentence  misunderstood,  a  shght  diver- 
sion of  mind  may  wear  him  the  wrong  way,  and  his  soul  is 
lost  Never  was  an  angel  employed  in  a  more  solemn  work 
than  that  of  dealing  with  sinners  who  are  imder  con\iction. 
How  solemnly  and  carefully  then  should  Christians  walk, 
how  wisely  and  skillfully  work,  if  they  do  not  mean  to  be  the 
means  of  damning  a  soul  I 

FiNAULY. — If  there  is  a  sinner  in  this  house,  let  me  say  to 
him,  Abandon  all  your  excuses.  You  have  been  told  to- 
night that  they  are  all  vain.  To-night  it  ^dll  be  told  in  hell, 
and  told  in  heaven,  and  echoed  from  the  ends  of  the  uni- 
verse, what  you  decide  to  do.  This  very  hour  may  seal  your 
eternal  destny.     Will  you  submit  to  God  to-night- now  ? 


LECTUEE  XL 

▲   WISE   MINISTEB   WILL   BE   SUCCESSFUI*. 

Tkxt.— He  that  winneth  bouIb  Ib  wise.— Pbotbkbs  xl.  80. 

i  PSEACHED  last  Friday  evening  from  the  same  text,  on  the 
method  of  dealing  with  sinners  by  private  Christians.  My 
object  at  this  time  is  to  take  np  the  mc«:e  pubhc  means  oi 
grace,  with  particular  reference  to  the 

DUTIES   OF   MINISTERS. 

As  I  observed  in  my  last  lecture,  wisdom  is  the  choice  and 
pursuit  of  the  best  end  by  the  most  appropriate  meana  The 
great  end  for  which  the  Christian  Mmistiy  was  appointed,  is 
k)  glorify  God  in  the  salvation  of  souls.  In  speaking  on  this 
subject  I  propose  to  show, 

I.  That  a  right  discharge  of  the  duties  of  a  minister  requires 
great  wisdom. 

n.  That  the  amoimt  of  success  in  the  discharge  of  his  du- 
ties (other  things  being  equal)  decides  the  amount  of  wisdom 
employed  by  him  in  the  exercise  of  his  office. 

L  I  am  to  show  that  a  right  discharge  of  the  duties  of  a 
minister  requires  great  wisdom. 

1.  On  acconnt  of  the  oj^siticm  it  encounters.  The  very  end 
for  wliich  the  ministry  is  appointed  is  one  against  wluch  is 
arrayed  the  most  powerful  opposition  of  sinners  themselves. 
If  men  were  willing  to  receive  the  Gbspel,  and  there  were 
nothing  needed  to  be  done  but  to  tell  the  story  of  redempticai, 
a  child  might  convey  the  news.  But  men  are  opposed  to  the 
Gospel  They  are  opposed  to  their  own  salvation,  in  this  way. 
Their  opposition  is  often  violent  and  determined.  I  once  saw 
a  maniac  who  had  formed  designs  agaiust  his  own  life,  and 
he  would  exercise  the  utmost  sagacity  and  cunmng  to  effect 
his  purpose.  He  would  be  as  artful  and  make  his  keepers 
beheve  he  had  no  such  design,  that  he  had  given  it  aU  up, 
and  would  appear  as  mild  and  sober,  and  at  the  instant  the 
keeper  was  off  his  guard  he  would  lay  hands  on  himself.  So 
sinners  often  exercise  great  cunning  in  evading  all  the  efforts 
(166) 


A    WISE    MIN18TEB    WILL   BE    SUCCESSFUL.  161 

khat  are  made  to  save  them.  And  to  meet  this  dreadful  cfon- 
ning,  and  overcome  it  so  as  to  save  men,  ministers  need  a 
great  amount  of  wisdom. 

2.  The  particular  means  appointed  to  be  employed  in  the 
work  show  the  necessity  of  great  wisdom  in  ministers.  If 
men  were  converted  by  an  act  of  physical  omnipotence,  cre- 
ating some  new  taste,  or  something  like  that,  and  if  sanctifi- 
cation  were  nothing  but  the  same  physical  omnipotence  root- 
ing out  the  remaining  roots  of  sin  from  the  soul,  it  would  not 
requii*e  so  much  stxgacity  and  skill  to  win  souls.  Nor  would 
there  then  be  any  meaning  in  the  text.  But  the  truth  is  that 
regeneration  and  sanctifi cation  are  to  be  effected  by  moral 
means — by  argument  and  not  by  force.  There  never  was  and 
never  will  be  any  one  saved  by  any  thing  but  truth  as  the 
means.  Truth  is  the  outward  means,  the  outward  motive, 
presented  first  by  man  and  then  by  the  Holy  Spirit  Take 
into  view  the  opposition  of  the  sinner  himself,  and  you  see 
that  nothing,  after  all,  short  of  the  wisdom  of  God  and  the 
moral  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  can  break  down  this  opposi- 
tion, and  bring  Mm  to  submit  to  God.  Still  the  means  are  to 
be  used  by  men,  and  means  adapted  to  the  end,  skillfully  used. 
God  has  provided  that  the  work  of  conversion  and  sanctifica- 
tion  shall  in  all  cases  be  done  by  means  of  that  kind  of  truth, 
applied  in  that  connection  and  relation,  which  is  fitted  to  pro- 
duce such  a  result 

3.  He  has  the  powers  of  earth  and  bell  to  overcome,  and 
that  calls  for  wisdom.  The  devil  is  constantly  at  work,  trying 
to  prevent  the  success  of  ministers,  laboring  to  divert  the  at- 
tention from  the  subject  of  rehgion,  and  to  get  the  sinner 
Iway  from  God  and  lead  him  down  to  helL  The  whole  frame- 
«vork  of  society,  almost,  is  hostile  to  religion.  Nearly  all  the 
influences  which  snrround  a  man  from  his  cradle  to  his  grave, 
in  the  present  state  of  society,  are  calculated  to  defeat  the  de- 
sign of  the  ministry.  Does  not  a  minister  then  need  great 
wisdom  to  conflict  with  the  powers  of  darkness,  and  the  whole 
influence  of  the  world,  in  addition  to  the  sinner's  own  oppo- 
sition? 

4.  The  same  is  seen  from  the  infinite  importance  of  the  end 
itsell  The  end  of  the  ministry  is  the  salvation  of  the  souL 
When  we  consider  the  importance  of  the  end,  and  the  difficul- 
ties  of  the  work,  who  will  not  sav  with  the  apostle,  "  Wlio  is 
sufficient  fur  these  things » 

5.  He  must  understand  how  to  wake  up  tn&  chxirch,  aiw., 
get  them  out  of  the  way  of  the  conversion  of  sinnera  This  i« 
often  the  most  difficult  part  of  a  mirister's  work,  and  requires 


168  A   WISE    MINISTEB    WILL    BE    SUCCESSFinU 

more  wisdom  and  patience  than  any  thing  else.  Indeed,  to 
do  this  successfully,  is  a  most  rare  qualification  in  the  Chria 
tian  ministry.  It  is  a  pomt  where  almost  all  ministers  faiL 
Thoy  know  not  how  to  wake  up  the  church,  and  raise  the  tone 
of  piety  to  a  high  standard,  and  thus  clear  the  way  for  the 
work  of  conversion.  Many  ministers  can  preach  to  sinners 
very  well,  but  gain  Httle  success,  while  the  counteracting  in- 
fluence of  the  church  resists  it  aU,  and  they  have  not  skill 
enough  to  remove  the  difficulty.  There  is  only  here  and  there 
a  minister  in  the  country  who  knows  how  to  probe  the  church 
when  they  are  in  a  cold,  backslidden  state,  so  as  effectually  to 
wake  them  up  and  keep  them  awake.  The  members  of  the 
church  sin  against  such  hght,  that  when  they  become  cold  it 
is  very  difficult  to  rouse  them  up.  They  have  a  form  of  piety 
which  wards  off  the  truth,  while  at  the  same  time  it  is  just 
that  kind  of  piety  which  has  no  power  nor  efficiency.  Such 
professors  are  the  most  difficult  individuals  to  arouse  from 
their  slumbers.  I  do  not  mean  that  they  are  always  more 
wicked  thjin  the  impenitent  They  are  often  employed  about 
the  machiaery  of  religion,  and  pass  for  very  good  Christians, 
but  are  of  no  use  iu  a  revivaL 

I  know  ministers  are  sometimes  amazed  to  hear  it  said  that 
churches  are  not  awake.  No  wonder  such  ministers  do  not 
know  how  to  wake  a  sleeping  church.  There  was  a  young 
licentiate  heard  brother  Foote  the  other  day,  iu  this  city,  poui> 
ing  out  truth,  and  trying  to  wake  up  the  churches,  and  he 
knew  so  httle  about  it  that  he  thought  it  was  abusiug  the 
churches.  So  perfectly  blind  was  he  that  he  really  thought 
the  churches  in  New  York  were  all  awake  on  the  subject  of 
religion.  So  some  years  ago  there  was  a  gi-eat  controversy 
and  opposition  raised,  because  so  much  was  said  about  the 
churches  being  asleep.  It  was  all  tnith,  yet  many  ministers 
knew  nothing  about  it,  and  were  astonished  to  hear  such  things 
said  about  the  churches.  When  it  has  come  to  this,  that  mm- 
isters  do  not  know  when  the  church  is  asleep,  no  wonder  that 
we  have  no  revivals.  I  was  invited  once  to  preach  at  a  certain 
place.  I  asked  the  minister  what  was  the  state  of  the  church. 
"Oh,"  says  he,  "to  a  man  they  are  awake."  I  was  dehghted 
at  the  idea  of  laboring  in  such  a  church,  for  it  was  a  sight  I 
had  never  yet  seen,  to  see  every  single  member  awake  in  a 
revival.  But  wlien  I  got  there  I  found  the  church  sleepy  and 
cold,  and  I  doubt  whether  one  of  them  was  awake. 

Here  is  the  great  difficulty  in  keeping  up  revivals,  to  keep 
the  church  thoroughly  awake  and  engaged.  It  is  one  thing 
for  a  chui'cli  to  g<^t  up  in  their  sleep  and  bluster  about  ano 


A   WISE    MINISTEli    WILL   BE   SUCCESSFUI..  169 

run  over  each  other,  and  a  widely  different  thing  for  them  to 
have  their  eyes  open,  and  their  senses  about  them,  and  be 
wide  awake,  so  as  to  know  how  to  find  God  and  how  to  work 
for  Chiist. 

5.  Bie  must  know  how  to  set  the  church  to  work  when  they  are 
awake.  If  a  minister  attempts  to  go  to  work  alone,  calculating 
to  do  it  all  himself,  it  is  hke  attempting  to  roll  a  great  stone 
up  a  hill  alone.  The  church  can  do  much  to  help  forward  a 
revival  Churches  have  sometimes  had  powerful  revivals 
without  any  minister.  But  when  a  minister  has  a  church  who 
are  awake,  and  knows  how  to  set  them  to  work,  and  how  to 
ait  at  the  helm  and  guide  them,  he  may  feel  strong,  and  often- 
times may  find  that  they  do  more  than  he  does  himself,  in  the 
conversion  of  sinners. 

6.  In  order  to  be  successful,  a  minister  needs  great  wisdom 
to  know  how  to  keep  the  church  to  the  work.  Often  the  church 
seem  just  like  cliildren.  You  set  children  to  work,  and  they 
appear  to  be  all  engaged,  but  as  soon  as  your  back  is  turned 
they  will  stop  and  go  to  play.  The  great  difficulty  in  continu- 
ing a  revival  hes  here.  And  to  meet  it  requires  great  wisdom. 
To  know  how  to  break  them  down  again,  when  their  heart 
ijets  lifted  up  because  they  have  had  such  a  great  revival ;  to 
wake  them  up  afi-esh  when  their  zeal  begins  to  flag  ;  to  keep 
uheir  hearts  full  of  zeal  for  the  work  ;  these  are  some  of  the 
most  difficult  things  in  the  world.  Yet  if  a  minister  would 
be  successful  ui  wimiing  souls,  he  must  know  when  they  first 
begiQ  to  grow  proud,  or  to  lose  the  spirit  of  prayer,  and  when 
to  probe  them  and  how  to  search  them  over  again,  how  to 
keep  the  church  in  the  field  gathering  the  harvest  of  the  Lord- 

7.  He  must  understand  the  Gospel.  But  you  will  ask.  Do  not 
all  ministers  understand  the  Gospel?  I  answer,  that  they 
certainly  do  not  all  understand  it  alike,  for  they  do  not  all 
preach  alike. 

8.  He  must  know  how  to  divide  it,  so  as  to  bring  forward 
the  particular  truths,  ui  that  order,  njid  to  make  them  bear 
upon  those  poiuts  and  at  such  times  as  are  calculated  to  pro- 
duce a  given  result  A  minister  should  miderstand  the  phi- 
losophy of  the  human  mind,  so  as  to  know  how  to  plan  and 
arrange  his  labors  wisely.  Truth,  when  brought  to  bear  upon 
the  mind,  is  hi  itseH  calculated  to  produce  corresponding  feel- 
ings. The  minister  must  know  what  feelings  he  wishes  to 
produce,  and  how  to  bring  such  truth  to  beiu'  as  is  calculated 
to  produce  theae  feelings.  He  must  know  how  to  present 
truth  calculated  to  humble  Chi'istians,  or  to  make  them  feel 
lor  siimera,  or  to  awaJicn  ainiiei's,  or  to  convert  them 


1*10  A   WIflE    MIKISTEB    WILL   BE    BVCCl^SSFVL, 

Often,  wiien  sinners  are  awakened,  the  ground  is  lost  foi 
the  want  of  wisdom  in  following  up  the  blow.  Perhaps  a 
rousing  sermon  is  preached,  Christians  are  moved,  and  sin- 
ners begin  to  feel,  and  the  next  Sabbath  something  will  be 
brought  forward  that  has  no  connection  with  the  state  of  feel- 
ing in  the  congregation,  and  that  is  not  calculated  to  lead  the 
mind  on  to  the  exercise  of  repentance,  faith  or  love.  It  shows 
how  important  it  is  that  a  minister  should  understand  how  to 
produce  a  given  impression,  at  what  time  it  may  and  ihould 
be  done,  and  by  what  truth,  and  how  to  follow  it  up,  tiU  the 
sinner  is  broken  down  and  brought  in. 

A  great  many  good  sermons  preached  are  all  lost  for  the 
want  of  a  httle  wisdom  hera  They  are  good  sermons,  and 
calculated,  if  well  timed,  to  do  great  good  ;  but  they  have  so 
little  connection  with  the  actual  state  of  ifeeling  in  the  con- 
gregation, that  it  would  be  more  than  a  miracle  if  they  should 
produce  a  revivaL  A  minister  may  preach  in  this  random 
way  till  he  has  preached  himself  to  death,  and  never  produce 
any  great  results.  He  may  convert  here  and  there  a  scatter- 
ing soul ;  but  he  will  not  move  the  mass  of  the  congregation 
unless  he  knows  how  to  follow  up  his  impressions,  to  carry 
out  a  plan  of  operations  and  execute  it,  so  as  to  carry  on  the 
work  when  it  is  begun.  He  must  not  only  be  able  to  blow 
the  trumpet  so  loud  as  to  start  the  sinner  from  his  lethargy, 
but  when  he  is  waked,  he  must  lead  him  by  the  shortest  way 
to  Jesus  Christ.  And  not  as  soon  as  sinners  are  roused  by 
a  sermon,  immediately  begin  to  preach  about  some  remote 
subject  that  has  no  tendency  to  carry  on  the  work. 

10.  To  reach  different  classes  of  sinners  successfuUy  requires 
great  wisdom  on  the  part  of  a  minister.  For  instance,  a  ser- 
mon on  a  particular  subject  may  start  a  particular  class  of 
persons  among  his  hearers.  Perhaps  they  wiQ  begin  to  look 
serious,  or  perhaps  talk  about  it,  or  perhaps  they  will  begin 
to  cavil  about  it.  Now,  if  the  minister  is  wise,  he  will  know 
how  to  observe  those  indications,  and  to  follow  right  on  with 
sermons  adapted  to  this  class,  until  he  leads  them  into  the 
kingdom  of  (jk)d.  Then  let  him  go  back  and  take  another 
class,  find  out  where  they  are  hid,  break  down  their  refuges, 
and  follow  them  up,  till  he  leads  them  into  the  kingdom  of 
God.  He  should  thus  beat  about  every  bush  where  sinners 
hide  themselves,  as  the  voice  of  God  followed  Adam  in  the 
garden — "  Adam,  where  art  thou  ?"  till  one  class  of  hearers 
after  another  are  brought  in,  and  so  the  whole  community 
converted.  Now  a  minister  must  be  very  wise  to  do  tliis.  It 
oever  will  be  done  so  till  a  minist^  sets  himself  to  hunt  out 


A   WISE    MINISTER    WILL   BE    BU0CE8BFXJL.  iTk 

and  bring  in  every  class  of  sinners  in  his  congregation,  the 
old  and  young,  male  and  female,  rich  and  poor. 

11.  A  minister  needs  great  wisdom  to  get  sinners  away 
from  their  present  refuges  of  lies,  mUhxmt  forming  new  hiding 
places  far  them.  I  once  sat  under  the  ministry  of  a  man  who 
had  contracted  a  great  alarm  about  heresies,  and  was  con- 
stantly employed  m  confuting  them.  And  he  used  to  bring 
up  many  such  heresies  as  his  people  never  heard  ol  He  got 
his  ideas  chiefly  from  books,  and  mingled  very  httle  among 
the  people  to  Imow  what  they  thought  And  the  result  of 
his  labors  often  was,  that  the  people  would  be  taken  with  the 
heresy,  more  than  with  the  argument  against  it  The  novelty 
of  the  error  attracted  their  attention  so  much  that  they 
forgot  the  answer.  And  in  that  way  he  gave  many  of  his 
people  new  objections  against  religion,  such  as  they  never 
thought  of  before.  If  a  man  does  not  mingle  enough  with 
mankind  to  know  how  people  think  n(nv-a-days  he  cannot  ex- 
pect to  be  wise  to  meet  their  objections  and  difficulties. 

I  have  heard  a  great  deal  of  preaching  against  Universal- 
ists,  that  did  more  hurt  than  good,  because  the  preachers 
did  not  understand  how  Universalists  of  the  present  day 
reason.  They  have  never  mingled  with  Universalists,  and 
know  not  what  they  believe  and  how  they  argue,  now^  but 
have  got  all  they  know  of  Universahsm  from  books  that  were 
vmtten  long  ago,  and  are  now  out  of  date  among  Universal- 
ists themselves.  And  the  consequence  is  that  when  they  atr 
tempt  to  preach  against  T"^niversalism  they  oppose  a  man  of 
straw,  and  not  Universahst  sentiments  as  they  are  now  found 
in  the  community.  And  people  either  laugh  at  them,  or  say 
it  is  all  Ues,  for  they  know  Universalists  do  not  hold  such 
sentiments  as  are  ascribed  to  them  by  the  preacher. 

"When  ministers  undertake  to  oppose  a  present  heresy,  they 
ought  to  know  what  it  is  at  present.  For  instance,  almost 
all  those  who  write  and  preach  against  Universahsm  think 
they  are  called  upon  to  oppose  the  idea  that  God  is  aU  mercy. 
Tliey  suppose  Universalists  hold  the  doctrine  that  God  is  aJl 
mercy,  and  that  when  they  have  refuted  this  doctrine,  they  have 
got  Universahst  s  down.  But  this  is  not  true.  They  do  not 
hold  such  doctrine.  They  deny  it  altogether.  They  reject 
klie  idea  of  mercy  in  the  salvation  of  men,  for  they  hold  that 
every  man  is  punished  in  fuQ  according  to  his  just  deserts. 
Of  what  use  is  it,  then,  to  argue  against  Universahsts,  that 
God  is  a  God  of  justice  and  not  a  God  all  mercy,  when  they 
hold  to  the  justice  of  God  alone  as  the  ground  of  salvation, 
and  do  not  admit  the  idea  of  mercy  at  all '?     In  like  manner, 


172  A    WISE   MTNTSTER    WILL    BE    STTCCESSFUL. 

I  have  heard  men  preach  against  the  idea  that  men  are  saved 
m  their  sins,  and  they  supposed  they  were  preaching  down 
Universahst  doctrine.  Universalists  believe.no  such  thing. 
They  beheve  that  all  men  will  be  made  holy  and  saved  in  that 
way.  This  shows  the  importance  of  knowing  what  people 
actually  hold,  before  you  try  to  reason  them  out  of  their 
errors.  It  is  of  no  use  to  misrepresent  a  man's  doctrines  to 
his  face,  and  then  try  to  reason  him  out  of  them.  You  must 
state  his  doctnne  just  as  he  holds  it,  and  state  his  arguments 
fairly.  Othermse,  if  you  state  them  wrong,  you  either  make 
him  angry,  or  he  laughs  in  his  sleeve  at  the  advantage  you 
give  him.  He  will  say.  That  man  cannot  argue  with  me  on 
fair  grounds  ;  he  has  to  misrepresent  our  doctrines  ia  order 
to  confute  me.  Great  hurt  is  done  in  this  way.  Ministers 
do  not  iutend  to  misrepresent  their  opponents  ;  but  the  effect 
of  it  is,  that  the  poor  miserable  creatures  who  hold  these 
errors  go  to  hell  because  ministers  do  not  take  care  to  inform 
themselves  what  are  their  real  errors.  Errors  are  never  torn 
away  by  such  a  process.  I  mention  these  cases  to  show  how 
much  wisdom  a  minister  must  have  to  meet  the  cases  that 
occur.  He  must  be  acquainted  with  the  real  views  of  men 
hi  order  to  meet  them,  and  do  away  their  errors  and  mis- 
%kes. 

12.  Ministers  ought  to  know  what  measures  are  best  calcu- 
lated to  aid  m  accomphshing  the  great  end  of  their  office, 
the  salvation  of  souls.  Some  measures  are  plainly  necessary. 
By  measures,  I  mean  what  things  should  be  done  to  get  the 
attention  of  the  people  and  bring  them  to  hsten  to  the  truth. 
Building  houses  for  worship,  and  visiting  from  house  to 
house,  etc.,  are  all  "  measures,"  the  object  of  which  is  to  get 
the  attention  of  people  to  the  Gospel.  Much  wisdom  is 
requisite  to  devise  and  carry  forward  all  the  various  measures 
that  are  adapted  to  favor  the  success  of  the  Gospel. 

What  do  the  pohticians  do  ?  They  get  up  meetings  ;  circu- 
late handbills  and  pamphlets  ;  blaze  away  in  the  newspapers ; 
send  their  ships  about  the  streets  on  wheels  with  flags  and 
sailors  ;  send  coaches  aU  over  town,  with  handbills,  to  bring 
people  up  to  the  polls — all  to  gain  attention  to  their  cause 
and  elect  their  candidate.  All  these  are  their  "  measures,** 
and  for  their  end  they  are  wisely  calculated.  The  object  is  to 
get  up  an  excitement,  and  bring  the  people  out.  They  know 
that  miless  there  can  be  an  excitement  it  is  in  vaui  to  pusli 
their  end.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  their  measures  art 
pious,  or  right,  but  only  that  they  are  wise,  ui  the  sense  that 
i^hey  are  the  appropriate  application  of  means  to  the  end. 


▲  WISH  MINISTEB  WILL  BB  SUCCESSFUL.       178 

The  object  of  the  ministry  is  to  get  aJl  the  people  to  feel 
that  the  devil  has  no  right  to  rule  this  world,  but  that  they 
ought  all  to  give  themselves  to  God,  and  vote  m  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  as  the  governor  of  the  universe.  Now  what 
shall  be  done  ?  What  measures  shall  we  take  ?  Says  one, 
"  Be  sure  and  have  nothing  that  is  new."  Strange  !  The 
object  of  our  measures  is  to  gain  attention,  and  you  must  have 
something  new.  As  sure  as  the  effect  of  a  measure  becomes 
stereotyjDed,  it  ceases  to  gain  attention,  and  then  you  must 
try  something  new.  You  need  not  make  innovations  in 
everything.  But  whenever  the  state  of  things  is  such  that 
anji^hirig  more  is  needed,  it  must  be  something  new,  othei^ 
wise  it  will  fail.  A  minister  should  never  introduce  innova- 
tions that  are  not  called  for.  If  he  does  they  will  embarrass 
him.  He  cannot  alter  the  Gospel  ;  that  remains  the  same. 
But  new  measures  are  necessary,  from  time  to  time,  to 
awaken  attention  and  bring  the  Gospel  to  bear  upon  the  pub- 
lic miad.  And  then  a  minister  ought  to  know  how  to  intro- 
duce new  things,  so  as  to  create  the  least  possible  resistance 
or  reaction.  Mankind  are  fond  of  form  in  rehgion.  They 
love  to  have  their  religious  duties  stereotyped,  so  as  to  leave 
them  at  ease  ;  and  they  are  therefore  inclined  to  resist  any 
xiew  movement  designed  to  rouse  them  up  to  action  and 
feeling.  Hence  it  is  all-important  to  introduce  new  things 
wisely,  so  as  not  to  give  needless  occ^ision  or  apology  for 
resistance. 

13.  Not  a  Httle  wisdom  is  sometimes  needed  by  a  minister 
to  know  ivh£n  to  pud  a  stop  to  new  measures.  When  a  measure 
has  novelty  enough  to  secure  attention  to  the  truth,  ordinarily 
no  other  new  measure  should  be  iutroduced.  You  have  se- 
cui*ed  the  great  object  of  novelty.  Anythiug  more  will  be  in 
danger  of  diverting  the  pubHc  mind  away  from  the  great 
object,  and  fixing  it  on  the  measures  themselves.  And  then, 
if  you  introduce  novelties  when  they  ai-e  not  called  for,  you 
will  go  over  so  large  a  field,  that  by  and  by  when  you  really 
want  something  new,  you  will  have  nothing  else  to  introduce, 
without  doing  something  that  will  give  too  great  a  shock  to 
the  pubhc  mind.  The  Bible  has  laid  down  no  sx3ecific  course 
of  measures  to  promote  revivals  of  religion,  but  has  left  it 
to  ministers  to  adopt  such  as  are  wisely  calculated  to  secure 
the  end.  And  the  more  sparing  we  are  of  our  new  things, 
the  longer  we  can  use  them,  to  keep  pubhc  attention  awake 
to  the  great  subject  of  religion.  By  a  wise  com-se  this  may 
undoubtedly  be  done  for  a  long  series  of  years,  imtil  our  lyre- 
*ent  measures  will  by  and  by  have  sufficient  novelty  in  tliem 


174  A    WISa    MINISTER    WILL   BE   STJOOBSflFUTj. 

again  to  attract  and  fix  public  attention.  And  so  we  ahsD 
never  want  for  something  n^w. 

13.  A  minister,  to  win  souls,  must  know  how  to  deal  with 
careless,  with  awaJcerwd,  and  with  anxious  sinners,  so  as  to 
lead  them  right  to  Christ  m  the  shortest  and  most  direct 
way.  It  is  amazing  to  see  how  many  ministers  there  are  who 
do  not  know  how  to  deal  with  sinners,  or  what  to  say  to  them 
in  their  various  states  of  mind.  A  good  woman  in  Albany 
told  me,  that  when  she  was  under  concern  she  went  to  her 
minister  and  asked  him  to  tell  her  what  she  must  do  to  get 
relief.  And  he  said  God  had  not  given  him  much  experience 
on  the  subject,  and  advised  her  to  go  to  such  a  deacon,  who 
perhaps  could  tell  her  what  to  do.  The  truth  was,  he  did  not 
know,  what  to  say  to  a  sinner  under  conviction,  although 
there  was  nothing  pecuHar  in  her  case.  Now  if  you  think 
this  minister  a  rare  case,  you  are  quite  deceived.  There  are 
many  ministers  who  do  not  know  what  to  say  to  sinners. 

A  minister  once  appointed  an  anxious  meeting,  and  went 
to  attend  it,  and  instead  of  going  round  to  the  individuals, 
he  began  to  ask  them  the  catechism,  "  Wherein  doth  Christ 
execute  the  office  of  a  priest  ?"  About  as  much  in  point  to 
a  great  many  of  their  minds  as  anything  else. 

I  know  a  minister  who  held  an  anxious  meeting,  and  went 
to  attend  it  with  a  written  discourse  which  he  had  prepared 
for  the  occasion.  Just  as  wise  as  it  would  be  if  a  physician, 
going  out  to  visit  his  patients,  should  sit  down  at  leisure  and 
write  all  the  prescriptions  before  he  had  seen  them.  A  min- 
ister needs  to  know  the  state  of  mind  of  the  individuals, 
before  he  can  know  what  truth  will  be  proper  and  useful  to 
administer.  I  say  these  things,  not  because  I  love  to  do  it, 
but  because  truth,  and  the  object  before  me,  Requires  them 
to  be  said.  And  such  instances  as  I  have  mentioned  are  by 
no  means  rare. 

A  minist-er  should  know  how  to  apply  truth  to  aU  the  situa- 
tions  in  which  he  may  find  dying  sinners  going  down  to  hell. 
He  should  know  how  to  preach,  how  to  pray,  how  to  con- 
duct prayer-meetings,  and  how  to  use  aU  the  means  for  bring- 
ing the  truth  of  God  to  bear  upon  the  kingdom  of  darkness. 
Does  not  this  require  wisdom  ?  And  who  is  sufficient  for 
these  things  ? 

n.  The  amount  of  a  minister's  success  in  winning  souls 
(ot?ier  things  being  equal)  invariably  decides  the  amount  of  wis- 
dom he  has  exercised  in  the  discharge  of  his  office. 

1.  This  is  plainly  asserted  in  the  text.  "  He  that  winnotb 
Bonis  is  wise."     That  is,  if  a  man  wins  souls,  he  doea  skill 


▲   WISE   MINISTEB   WILL  BE   SXTCOESSFITL.  Itf 

fully  adapt  means  to  the  end,  which  is,  to  exercise  wisdom. 
He  is  the  more  wise,  by  how  much  the  greater  is  the  number 
of  sinners  that  he  saves.  A  blockhead  may,  indeed,  now 
and  then  stumble  on  such  truth  or  such  a  manner  of  exhibit 
ing  it,  as  to  save  a  soul.  It  would  be  a  wonder  indeed  if 
any  minister  did  not  sometimes  have  something  in  his  sei> 
mons  that  would  meet  the  case  of  some  individuaL  But  the 
amount  of  wisdom  is  to  be  decided,  "  other  things  being 
equal,"  by  the  number  of  cases  in  which  he  is  successful  in 
converting  sinners. 

Take  the  case  of  a  physician.  The  greatest  quack  in  New 
York  may  now  and  then  stumble  upon  a  remarkable  cure, 
and  so  get  his  name  up  with  the  ignorant  But  sober  and 
judicious  people  judge  of  the  skill  of  a  physician  by  the 
uniformiJty  of  his  success  in  overcoming  disease,  the  variety  of 
diseavses  he  can  manage,  and  the  number  of  cases  in  which  he 
is  successful  in  saving  his  patients.  The  most  iskillful  saves 
the  most  This  is  common  sense.  It  is  truth.  And  it  is 
just  as  true  in  regard  to  success  in  saving  souls,  and  true  in 
just  the  same  sense. 

2.  This  principle  is  not  only  asserted  in  the  text,  but  it  n 
a  TTwiter  of/act,  a  historical  truth,  that  "  He  that  winneth  souls 
is  wise.*'  He  has  actually  employed  means  adapted  to  thf 
end,  in  such  a  way  as  to  secure  the  end. 

3.  Success  in  saving  souls  is  evidence  that  a  man  under- 
stands the  Gospel,  and  understands  human  nature,  that  hfl 
knows  how  to  adapt  means  to  his  end,  that  he  has  common 
sense,  and  that  he  has  that  kind  of  tact,  that  practical  discern- 
ment, to  know  how  to  get  at  people.  And  if  his  success  ia 
extensive,  it  shows  that  he  knows  how  to  deal  with  a  great 
vsiriety  of  characters,  in  a  great  variety  of  circumstances, 
who  are  yet  all  the  enemies  of  God,  and  to  bring  them  to 
Christ  To  do  this  requires  great  wisdom.  And  the  minister 
who  does  it  shows  that  he  is  wise. 

4  Success  in  winning  souls  shows  that  a  minister  not  only 
knows  how  to  labor  wisely  for  that  end,  but  also  that  he  kncnm 
where  his  depejideiice  is.  You  know  that  fears  are  often  ex- 
pressed respecting  those  ministers  who  are  aiming  most 
directly  and  earnestly  at  the  conversion  of  sinners.  People 
say,  "  Why,  this  man  is  going  to  work  in  his  own  strength 
one  would  imagine  he  thinks  he  can  convert  souls  himself.*" 
How  often  has  the  event  showed  that  the  man  knows  what 
he  is  about,  very  well,  and  knows  where  his  strength  is  too. 
He  went  to  work  to  convert  sinners  so  earnestly,  just  as  if  he 
ocAild  do  it  all  v^iTna^W  •  but  that  was  the  very  way  he  should 


1^6  ▲   WISE    MINISTBB   WILL   BE    SUCCESSFUL. 

do.  He  ought  to  reason  with  sinners,  and  plead  with  them, 
as  faithfully  and  fully  as  if  he  did  not  expect  any  interposif 
tion  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  or  as  if  he  knew  there  was  no  Holy 
Ghost.  But  whenever  a  man  does  this  successfully,  it  shows 
that,  after  all,  he  knows  he  must  depend  on  the  Spirit  of  God 
alone  for  success. 

Objection. — There  are  many  who  feel  an  objection  against 
this  subject,  arising  out  of  the  view  they  have  taken  of  the 
ministry  of  Jesus  Christ.  They  ask  us,  "  What  wiU  you  say 
about  the  ministry  of  Jesus  Christ,  was  not  he  wise  ?"  I 
answer,  Yes,  infinitely  wise.  But  in  regard  to  his  alleged 
want  of  success  in  the  conversion  of  sinners,  you  will  ob 
serve  the  following  things  : 

(1.)  That  his  ministry  was  vastly  more  successful  than  is 
generally  supposed-  We  read  in  one  of  the  sacred  writers, 
that  after  his  resurrection  and  before  his  ascension  "  he  was 
seen  by  about  five  hundred  brethren  at  once."  If  so  many 
as  five  hundred  brethem  were  found  assembled  together  at 
one  place,  we  see  there  must  have  been  a  vast  number  of 
them  scattered  over  the  country. 

(2.)  Another  circumstance  to  be  observed  is,  that  his  pub- 
lic ministry  was  very  short,  less  than  three  years. 

(3.)  Consider  the  peculiar  design  of  his  ministry.  His 
main  object  was  to  make  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 
It  was  not  aimed  so  much  at  promoting  revivals.  The  "  dis- 
pensation of  the  Spirit"  was  not  yet  given.  He  did  no% 
preach  the  Gospel  so  fuUy  as  his  apostles  did  aftei-wards.  The 
prejudices  of  the  people  were  so  fixed  and  violent  that  they 
would  not  bear  ii  That  he  did  not,  is  plain  from  the  fact 
that  even  his  apostles,  who  were  constantly  with  him,  did  noi 
understand  the  atonement.  They  did  not  get  the  idea  that 
he  was  going  to  die,  and  consequently,  when  they  heard  he 
was  actually  dead,  they  were  driven  to  despair,  and  thought 
the  thing  was  all  gone  by,  and  their  hopes  blown  to  the  winds. 
The  fact  was,  that  he  had  another  object  in  view,  to  which 
every  thing  else  was  made  to  yield,  and  the  perverted  state 
of  the  pubhc  mind,  and  the  obstinate  prejudices  prevailing, 
showed  why  results  were  not  seen  any  more  in  the  conver- 
sion of  sinnera  The  state  of  pubhc  opinion  was  such,  that 
they  finally  murdered  him  for  what  he  did  preach- 

Many  ministers  who  have  httle  or  no  success,  are  hiding 
themselves  behind  the  ministry  of  Jesus  Chiist,  as  if  he  was 
an  unsuccessful  preacher.  AVhereas,  in  fact,  he  was  eminent- 
ly successful,  considering  the  circumstances  in  which  he  labor- 
ed. This  is  the  last  place  in  all  the  world  where  a  mimst.er 
who  has  no  success  sliould  think  of  hiding:  himself 


A    WISE    MTNISTEE   WILL    BE    SUCCESSrULi.  Itt 


1.  A  minister  may  be  very  learned  and  not  ivise.  There  are 
many  ministers  possessed  of  great  learning  ;  they  understand 
all  the  sciences,  physical,  moral,  and  theological ;  they  may 
know  the  dead  languages,  and  possess  all  learning,  and  yet 
not  be  liise,  in  relation  to  the  great  end  about  which  they  sre 
chiefly  employed.    Facts  clearly  demonstrate  this.    "  He  that 

\umneih  souls  is  wise." 

2.  An  unsuccessful  minister  may  be  pkms  as  well  as  learned, 
and  yet  not  wise.  It  is  unfair  to  infer  because  a  miiiister  is 
unsuccessful,  that  therefore  he  is  a  hypocrite.  There  may  be 
something  defective  ia  his  education,  or  in  his  mode  of  view- 
ing a  subject,  or  of  exhibiting  it,  or  such  a  want  of  comnwn 
sense,  as  will  defeat  his  labors,  and  prevent  his  success  in  win- 
ning souls,  wlule  he  himself  may  be  saved — "  yet  so  as  by 
ore." 

3.  A  minister  may  be  very  wise,  though  he  is  not  learned. 
He  may  not  understand  the  dead  languages,  or  theology  in 
its  common  acceptation  ;  and  yet  he  may  know  just  what  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel  wants  most  to  know,  v^dthout  knowing 
many  other  things.  A  learned  minister  and  a  wise  minister 
are  different  things.  Facts  in  the  history  of  the  church  in 
aU  ages  prove  this.  It  is  very  common  for  churches,  when 
looking  out  for  a  minister,  to  aim  at  getting  a  very  learned 
man.  Do  not  understand  me  to  disparage  learning.  The 
more  learning  the  better,  if  he  is  also  wise  in  the  great  matr 
ter  he  is  employed  about.  If  a  minister  knows  how  to  win 
souls,  the  more  learning  he  has  the  better.  But  if  he  has 
any  other  kind  of  learning,  and  not  this,  he  will  infoUibly  fail 
of  the  end  of  his  ministry. 

4.  Want  of  success  in  a  minister  {other  things  being  equal) 

E roves,  (1.)  either  that  he  was  never  called  to  preach,  and 
as  taken  it  up  out  of  his  own  head  ;  or  (2.)  tliat  he  was 
badly  educated,  and  was  never  taught  the  very  things  he 
wants  most  to  know  ;  or  (3.)  if  he  was  called  to  preach,  and 
knows  how  to  do  his  duty,  he  is  too  indolent  and  too  wicked 
to  do  it 

5.  Those  are  the  best  educated  ministers,  who  win  the  most 
souls.  Ministers  are  sometimes  looked  dovm  upon,  and 
called  very  ignor?.nt,  because  they  do  not  know  sciences  and 
languages  ;  although  they  are  veiy  far  from  being  ignorant 
of  the  great  thing  for  which  the  ministry  is  appointed.  This 
is  wrong.  Learning  is  important,  and  always  useful  But 
after  aU,  a  minister  may  know  how  to  win  souls  to  Christ 

8* 


178  A   WISE   inWISTEB    WILL   BE   SUOCE8SFX7L. 

withont  ^reat  leaming,  and  (he  has  the  best  education  for  i 
minister^  who  can  win  the  most  souls  to  Christ^i 

6.  There  is  evidently  a  great  defect  in  the  present  mode  of 
educating  ministera  This  is  a  SOLEIVIN  FACT,  to  which 
the  attention  of  the  whole  church  should  be  distinctly  called  ; 
that  the  great  mass  of  young  ministers  who  are  educated  ao 
compHsh  very  little. 

When  young  men  come  out  from  the  seminaries,  are  they 
fit  to  go  into  a  revival  ?  Look  at  a  place  where  there  has 
been  a  revival  in  progress,  and  a  minister  is  wanted.  Let 
them  send  to  a  theological  seminary  for  a  minister.  Will  he 
enter  into  the  work,  and  sustain  it,  and  carry  it  on  ?  Seldom. 
Like  David  with  Saul's  armor,  he  comes  in  with  such  a  load 
ot  theological  trumpery,  that  he  knows  nothing  what  to  do. 
Leave  him  there  for  two  weeks,  and  the  revival  is  at  an  end. 
The  churches  know  and  feel,  thM  the  greater  part  of  these 
voung  men  do  not  know  how  to  do  anything  that  needs  to 
be  done  for  a  revival,  and  they  are  complaining  that  the 
^oung  ministers  are  so  far  behind  the  church.  You  may  send 
til  over  the  United  States,  to  theological  seminaries,  and  find 
kit  few  young  ministers  fitted  to  carry  forward  the  work. 
What  a  state  of  things ! 

There  is  a  grand  defect  in  educating  nunistera  Education 
ought  to  be  such,  as  to  prepare  young  men  for  the  peculiar 
work  to  which  they  are  destined.  But  instead  of  this,  they  are 
educated  for  any  thing  else.  The  grand  mistake  is  this. 
They  direct  the  mind  too  much  to  irrelevant  matters,  which  are 
not  necessary  to  be  attended  to.  In  their  courses  of  study, 
they  carry  the  mind  over  too  wide  a  field,  which  diverts  their 
attention  from  the  main  thing,  and  so  they  get  cold  in  rehgion, 
and  when  they  get  through,  instead  of  being  fitted  for  their 
work,  they  are  unfitted  for  it  Under  pretence  of  disciplining 
the  mind,  they  in  fact  scatter  the  attention,  so  that  when  they 
come  to  their  work,  they  are  awkward,  and  know  nothing 
how  to  take  hold,  or  how  to  act,  to  win  souls.  This  is  not 
universally  the  case,  but  too  often  it  is  so. 

It  is  common  for  people  to  talk  loudly  and  largely  aboufc 
an  educated  ministry.  Grod  forbid  that  I  should  say  a  word 
against  an  educated  ministry.  But  what  do  we  mean  by  an 
education  for  the  ministry?  Do  we  mean  that  they  should 
be  so  educated,  as  to  be  fitted  for  the  work  ?  If  they  are  so 
educated,  the  more  education  the  better.  Let  education  be 
of  the  right  kind,  teaching  a  jjroung  man  the  things  he  needs 
to  know,  and  not  the  very  thmgs  he  does  not  need  to  know. 
Let  them  be  educated/or  the  work.    Do  not  let  education  be 


A.    WISB    MIiaSTEB    TfllX    BE   BUCCESSFXTL.  11$ 

•aeh,  that  wh^i  young  men  come  ont,  after  spending  six, 
eight,  or  ten  years  in  study,  they  are  not  worth  half  as  much 
as  they  were  before  they  went  I  have  known  young  men 
come  out  after  what  they  call  "  a  thorough  coiu^e,"  who  were 
not  fit  to  take  charge  of  a  prayer  meeting,  and  who  could  not 
manage  a  prayer  meeting,  so  as  to  make  it  profitable  or  in- 
teresting. An  elder  of  a  church  in  a  neighboring  city,  in- 
formed me  recently  of  a  case  in  point  A  young  man,  before 
he  went  to  the  seminary,  had  labored  as  a  layman  with  them, 
C5onducted  their  prayer  meetings,  and  had  been  exceedingly 
aseful  among  them.  After  he  had  been  to  the  seminary,  they 
sent  for  him  and  desired  his  help  ;  but  oh,  how  changed  I  he 
was  so  completely  transformed,  that  he  made  no  impression  ; 
the  church  soon  began  to  complain  that  they  should  die  un 
der  his  influences,  and  he  left,  because  he  was  not  prepared 
for  the  work 

It  ifl  common  for  those  ministers  who  have  been  to  the 
seminaries,  and  are  now  useful,  to  affirm  that  their  course  of 
studies  there  did  them  httle  or  no  good,  and  that  they  had 
bo  unlearn  what  they  had  there  learned,  before  they  could  effect 
much.  I  do  not  say  this  censoriously,  but  it  is  a  solemn  fact> 
and  I  must  say  it  in  lova 

Suppose  you  were  going  to  make  a  man  a  surgeon  in  thf 
oavy.  Instead  of  sending  him  to  the  medical  school  to  leanj 
3urgery,  would  you  send  him  to  the  nautical  school  to  learn 
aavigation  ?  In  this  way,  you  might  qualify  him  to  navigate 
a  ship,  but  he  is  no  surgeon.  Ministers  should  be  educated 
to  know  what  the  Bible  is,  and  what  the  human  mind  is,  and 
know  how  to  bring  one  to  bear  on  the  other.  They  should 
be  brought  into  contact  with  mind,  and  made  familiar  with 
all  the  aspects  of  society.  They  should  have  the  Bible  in  one 
band,  and  the  map  of  the  human  mind  in  the  other,  and 
know  how  to  use  the  truth  for  the  salvation  of  men. 

7.  A  vxmt  of  comTTwn  serise  often  defeats  the  ends  of  the 
Christian  ministfy.  There  are  many  good  men  in  the  minia- 
try,  who  have  learning,  and  talents  of  a  certain  sort,  but 
they  have  no  common  sense  to  win  souLs.  , 

8.  We  see  one  great  defect  in  our  theological  schools. — 
Young  men  are  shut  up  in  their  schools,  confined  to  books 
and  idaut  out  from  intercourse  with  the  common  people,  op 
contact  with  the  common  mind  Hence  they  are  not  familiar 
with  the  mode  in  which  common  people  think.  This  accounts 
for  the  fact  that  some  plain  men,  that  have  been  brought  up 
to  business,  and  ac(iuainted  vdili  human  nature,  are  ten 
times  better  qualified  to  win  souls  than  those  who  are  edor 


180  A   WISH    MINISTER    WILL   BE    8UCCESSPUI*. 

cated  on  the  present  principle,  and  are  in  fact  ten  times  as 
well  acquainted  with  the  proper  business  of  the  ministry. 
These  are  called  "  uneducated  men."  This  is  a  grand  mis- 
take. They  are  not  learned  in  science,  but  they  are  learned 
in  the  very  things  which  they  need  to  know  as  ministers. 
They  are  not  ignorant  ministers,  for  they  know  exactly  how 
to  reach  the  mind  with  truth.  They  uaderstand  the  minds 
of  men,  and  how  to  adapt  the  gospel  to  their  case.  They 
are  better  furnished  for  their  work,  than  if  they  had  all  the 
machinery  of  the  schools. 

I  wish  to  be  understood.  I  do  not  say  that  I  would  not 
have  a  young  man  go  to  school  Nor  would  I  discourage 
him  from  going  over  the  field  of  science.  The  more  the  bet- 
ter, if  together  with  it  he  learns  also  the  things  that  the  min- 
ister needs  to  know,  in  order  to  win  souls — if  he  understands 
his  Bible,  and  understands  human  nature,  and  knows  how  to 
bring  the  truth  to  bear,  and  how  to  guide  and  manage  minds, 
and  to  lead  them  away  from  sin  and  lead  them  to  God. 

9.  The  success  of  any  measure  designed  to  promote  a  re- 
vival of  rehgion,  demonstrates  its  wisdom  with  the  follow- 
ing exceptions  : 

(1.)  A  measure  may  be  introduced /or  efed  to  produce 
excitement,  and  be  such  that  when  it  is  looked  back  upon 
afterwards,  it  will  look  nonsensical,  and  appear  to  have  been 
a  mere  trick.  In  that  case,  it  will  react,  and  its  introduction 
will  do  more  hurt  than  good. 

(2.)  Measures  may  be  introduced,  and  the  revival  be  very 
powerful,  and  the  success  be  attributed  to  the  measures,  when 
in  fact  other  things  made  the  revival  powerful,  and  these  very 
measures  may  have  been  a  hinderance.  The  prayers  of 
Chi'istians,  and  the  preaching,  and  other  things  may  have 
been  so  weU  calculated  to  carry  on  the  work,  that  it  has  suo- 
ceded  in  sjiiie  of  these  measures. 

But  when  the  blessing  evidently  follows  the  introduction  of 
the  measure  itself,  the  proof  is  unanswerable,  that  the  measure 
is  wise.  It  is  profane  to  say  that  such  a  measure  will  do 
more  hiu^  than  good-  God  kuows  about  thai  His  object 
is,  to  do  the  greatest  amount  of  good  possible.  And  of  course 
he  will  not  add  his  blessing  to  a  measure  that  will  do  more 
hurt  than  good.  He  may  sometimes  withhold  his  blessing 
from  a  measure  that  is  calculated  to  do  some  good  because 
it  will  be  at  the  expense  of  a  greater  good.  But  he 
never  vnll  bless  a  pernicious  proceeding.  There  is  no  such 
thing  as  deceiving  God  in  the  matter.  He  knows  whether  a 
given  measure  is,  on  the  whole,  wise,  or  not     He  may  blesw 


A    WISE    MTXISTER    WILL    BE    SUCCESSFUL.  181 

a  oonrse  of  labours  notwithstanding  some  unwise  or  injuriona 
measures.  But  if  he  blesses  the  measure  itself^  it  is  rebuking 
God  to  pronounce  it  unwise.  He  who  undertakes  to  do  this, 
let  him  look  to  the  matter. 

10.  It  is  evident  that  much  fault  has  been  found  with  meaa- 
ares,  which  have  been  prt-eminently  and  continually  blessed 
of  God  for  the  promotion  of  revivals.  We  know  it  is  said 
tliat  the  horrid  oatbs  of  a  profane  swearer  have  been  the 
means  of  awakening  another  less  hardened  sinnei.  But  this 
is  a  rare  case.  God  does  not  usually  make  such  a  use  of  pro- 
fanity. Bat  if  a  measure  is  continually  or  u.su<tlly  blessed,  let 
the  man  who  thinks  he  is  wiser  than  God,  call  it  in  questioiL 
TAKE  CARE  how  you  find  fault  with  God! 

11.  Christians  should  pray  for  ministers.  Brethren,  if  you 
felt  how  much  ministers  need  wisdom  to  perform  the  dutiea 
of  their  great  office  with  success,  and  how  ignorant  they  all 
are,  and  how  insufficient  they  are  of  themselves,  to  think  any- 
thing as  of  themselves,  you  would  pray  for  them  a  great  deal 
more  than  you  do  ;  that  is,  if  you  cared  anything  for  the  suc- 
cess of  their  labors.  People  often  find  fault  with  ministers, 
when  they  do  not  pray  for  them.  Brethren,  this  is  tempting 
God,  for  you  ought  not  to  expect  any  better  ministers,  unless 
you  pray  for  them.  And  you  ought  not  to  expect  a  blessing 
on  the  labors  of  your  minister,  or  to  have  your  famihes  con- 
verted by  his  preaching,  where  you  do  not  pray  for  him.  And 
8o  for  others,  the  waste  places,  and  the  heathen,  instead  of 

Era;yTng  all  the  time,  only  that  God  would  send  out  more 
iborers,  you  have  need  to  pray  that  God  would  make  min- 
isters wise  to  vein  souls,  and  that  those  he  sends  out  may  be 
properly  educated,  so  that  they  shall  be  scribes  well  instructed 
in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

12.  Those  laymen  in  the  church  who  know  how  to  win 
souls  are  to  be  counted  wise.  They  should  not  be  called 
"  ignorant  laymen."  And  those  church  members  who  do  not 
know  how  to  convert  sinners,  and  who  cannot  win  souls, 
should  not  be  called  wise — as  Christians,  They  are  not  wise 
Christians  ;  only  "  he  that  winneth  souls  is  wise."  They  may 
be  learned  in  pohtics,  in  aU  sciences,  or  they  may  be  skilled 
in  the  management  of  business,  or  other  things,  and  they  may 
look  down  on  those  who  win  souls,  as  notliing  but  plain, 
simple-hearted  and  ignorant  men.  If  any  of  you  are  inclined 
tc  do  this,  and  to  undervalue  those  brethren  who  win  souls, 
as  being  not  so  wise  and  cimniag  as  you  are,  you  deceive 
vx)ur8elves.  They  may  not  know  some  things  which  you 
know.  But  they  know  those  things  which  a  Christian  is 
most  concerned  to  know,  and  you  do  not 


18S  ▲   WIBB   lUNISTEB   WILL   BB   SUCCESSFUL. 

It  may  be  illustrated  by  the  case  of  a  minister  that  goes  to 
sea.  He  may  be  learned  in  science,  but  he  knows  nothing 
how  to  sail  a  ship.  And  he  begins  to  ask  the  sailors  abou^ 
this  thing  and  that,  and  what  is  this  rope  for,  and  the  hke. 
•*'\i\Tiy,"  say  the  sailors,  "these  are  not  ropes^  we  have  only 
one  rope  in  a  ship,  these  are  the  rigging,  the  man  talks  hke  a 
fooL"  And  so  this  learned  man  becomes  a  laughing-stock, 
perhaps,  to  the  sailors,  because  he  does  not  know  how  to  sail 
a  ship.  But  if  he  were  to  tell  them  one  hah  of  what  he 
knows  about  science,  perhaps  they  would  thitik  him  a  con- 
juror, to  know  so  much.  So  that  learned  students  may 
understand  their  Mc,  hcec,  h/yc,  very  well,  and  may  laugh  at 
the  humble  Christian,  and  call  him  ignorant,  although  he 
may  know  how  to  wia  more  souls  than  five  hundred  of  tihem. 

I  was  once  distressed  and  grieved  at  hearing  a  minister 
bearing  down  upon  a  young  preacher,  who  had  been  con- 
verted under  remarkable  circumstances,  and  who  was  licensed 
to  preach  without  pursuing  a  regular  course  of  study.  This 
minister,  who  was  never,  or  at  least  very  rarely,  known  to 
convert  a  soul,  bore  down  upon  the  young  man  in  a  vei-y 
brdly,  censorious  manner,  depreciating  him  because  he  had 
Hot  had  the  advantage  of  a  hberal  education,  when  in  fact  he 
W^as  instrumental  in  converting  more  souls  than  any  five  bun- 
ftred  ministers  hke  himself. 

I  would  say  nothing  to  undervalue,  or  lead  you  to  under 
value  a  thorough  education  for  ministers.  But  I  do  not  call 
that  a  thorough  educaiiofi,  which  they  get  in  our  colleges  and 
seminaries.  It  does  not  fit  them  for  their  work.  I  appeal  to 
all  experience,  whether  our  young  men  in  seminaries  are 
thoroughly  educated  for  the  purpose  of  winning  soula  Do 
THET  DO  rr  ?  Everybody  knows  they  do  not.  Look  at  the 
reports  of  the  Home  Missionary  Society.  If  I  recollect  right, 
in  1830,  the  number  of  conversions  in  connection  with  the 
labors  of  the  missionaries  of  that  society  did  not  exceed  five 
to  each  missionary.  I  beheve  the  number  has  increased 
since,  but  is  still  exceedingly  small  to  what  it  would  have 
been  had  they  been  fitted  by  a  right  course  of  training  for 
their  work.  I  do  not  say  this  to  reproach  them,  for  from  my 
heart  I  pity  them,  and  I  pity  the  church  for  being  under  the 
necessity  of  supporting  ministers  so  trained,  or  none  at  aL 
They  are  the  best  men  the  IVIissionary  Society  can  obtain 
I  fflippose,  of  course,  that  I  shall  be  reproached  for  aayizig 
thia.  But  it  is  too  troe  and  too  painful  to  be  ooxiflealad 
Tbo«e  fathers  who  have  th©  training  of  our  young  mini«*ari 
nre  g^ood  men,  but  they  are  ancient  men,  meaa  osf  ajar^ib^  %^e 


▲   WISE   MINIBTEB   WILL  BB   SUCCBSSFX7L.  188 

and  stamp,  from  what  ia  needed  in  these  days  of  excitement^ 
when  the  church  and  world  are  rising  to  new  thought  and 
action.  Those  dear  fathers  will  not,  I  suppose,  see  this  ;  and 
will  perhaps  thinlc  hard  of  me  for  saying  it ;  but  it  is  the 
cause  of  Christ  Some  of  them  are  getting  back  toward 
second  childhood,  and  ought  to  resign,  and  give  place  to 
younger  men,  who  are  not  rendered  physically  incapable,  by 
age,  of  keeping  pace  with  the  onward  movements  of  the 
church.  And  here  I  would  say,  that  to  my  own  mind,  it  ap- 
pears evident,  that  unless  our  theological  professors  preaxih  a 
good  deal,  mingle  much  with  the  church,  and  sympathize 
with  her  in  all  her  movements,  it  is  morally,  if  not  naturally, 
impossible,  that  they  should  succeed  in  training  young  men  to 
the  spirit  of  the  age.  It  is  a  shame  and  a  sin,  that  theolog- 
ical professors,  who  preach  but  seldom,  who  are  withdrawn 
from  the  active  duties  of  the  ministry,  should  sit  in  their 
studies  and  write  their  letters,  advisory,  or  dictatorial,  to 
ministers  and  churches  who  are  in  the  field,  and  who  are  in 
circumstances  to  judge  what  needs  to  be  dona  The  men 
Kho  spend  all  or  at  least  a  portion  of  their  time  in  the  active 
iuties  of  the  ministry,  are  the  only  men  who  are  able  to 
judge  of  what  is  expedient  or  inexpedient,  prudent  or  im- 
prudent, as  to  measures  fi'om  time  to  time.  It  is  as  danger^ 
>us  and  ridiculous  for  our  theological  professors,  who  are 
Adthdrawn  from  the  field  of  conflict,  to  be  allowed  to  dictate, 
in  regard  to  the  measures  and  movements  of  the  church,  as 
it  would  be  for  a  general  to  sit  in  his  bed-chamber  and  at^ 
tempt  to  order  a  battle.* 

Two  ministers  were  one  day  conversing  about  another  min 
ister  whose  labors  were  greatly  blessed  in  the  conversion  of 
some  thousands  of  souls.  One  of  them  said,  "That  man 
ought  not  to  preach  any  more  ;  he  should  stop  and  go  to  ** 
a  particular  theological  seminary  which  he  named,  "  and  go 
through  a  regular  course  of  study."  He  said  the  man  had 
**  a  good  mind,  and  if  he  was  thoroughly  educated,  he  might 
be  very  useful  **  The  other  repHed,  "  Do  you  think  he  would 
be  more  useful  for  going  to  that  seminary  ?  I  challenge  yon 
to  show  by  facts  that  any  are  more  useful  who  have  been 
there.  No,  sir,  the  fact  is,  that  since  this  man  has  been  in 
the  ministry,  he  has  been  instrumental  in  converting  more 
souls  than  all  the  young  men  who  have  come  from  that  semin- 
ary in  the  tima"   This  is  logic  I    Stop,  and  go  to  a  seminary^ 


•  This  was  said  In  183a 


184  ▲   WISE    MINISTER    WILL    BE    SUCCESSFTJL. 

to  prepare  himself  for  converting  souls,  \vhen  he  is  now  coi> 
verting  more  than  all  who  come  from  the  seminary  I 

Finally. — I  wish  to  ask  you,  before  I  sit  down,  who  among 
you  can  lay  any  claim  to  the  possession  of  this  Divine  wis- 
dom ?  Who  among  you,  laymen  ?  Who  among  you,  minis- 
ters ?  Can  any  of  you  ?  Can  I  ?  Are  we  at  work,  wisely, 
to  win  souls  ?  Or  are  we  trying  to  make  ourselves  believe 
that  success  is  no  criterion  of  wisdom  ?  It  is  a  criterion.  It 
is  a  safe  criterion  for  every  minister  to  try  himself  by.  The 
amount  of  his  success,  other  things  being  equal,  measures  the 
amount  of  wisdom  he  has  exercised  in  the  discharge  of  his 
office. 

How  few  of  you  have  ever  had  wisdom  enough  to  convert 
so  much  as  a  single  sinner  1 

Do  not  say  now,  "  I  cannot  convert  siuners  ;  how  can  I  con- 
vert sumers?  God  alone  can  convert  sinners. "  Look  at  the 
text,  "  He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise,"  and  do  not  think  you 
can  escape  the  sentence.  It  is  true  that  God  converts  sinnera 
But  there  is  a  sense,  too,  in  which  ministers  convert  them. 
And  you  have  something  to  do  ;  something  that  requires  wis- 
dom ;  something  which,  if  you  do  it  wisely,  wQl  insure  the 
conversion  of  sinners  in  propoi-tion  to  the  wisdom  employed. 
If  you  never  have  done  this,  it  is  high  time  to  think  about 
yourselves,  and  see  whether  you  have  wisdom  enough  to  save 
even  your  own  souls. 

Men — women — you  are  bound  to  be  wise  in  winning  souls. 
Perhaps  aheady  souls  have  perished  ;  perhaps  a  friend,  or  a 
child  is  in  hell,  because  you  have  not  put  forth  the  wisdom 
which  you  might,  in  saving  them.  The  city  is  going  to  helL 
Yes,  the  world  is  going  to  hell,  and  must  go  on,  till  the  church 
findjs  out  what  to  do,  to  win  souls.  Pohticians  are  wise.  The 
children  of  this  world  are  wise,  they  know  what  to  do  to  ao* 
comphsh  their  ends,  while  we  are  prosing  about,  not  know 
ing  what  to  do,  or  where  to  take  hold  of  the  work,  and  sLiy 
Den  are  going  to  helL 


LECTURE  Xn. 

HOW   TO   PBEACU   THE   OOSPEL. 
TiXT.— Ha  that  wlnneth  goals  ib  wise  — Pboykbbs  zl.  tt. 

One  of  the  last  remarks  in  my  last  lecture,  was  this,  thai 
the  text  ascribes  conversion  to  men.  Winning  souls  is  con- 
verting men.     This  evening  I  design  to  show, 

L  That  several  passages  of  Scripture  ascribe  conversion  to 
men. 

n.  That  this  is  consistent  with  other  passages  which  ascribe 
conversion  to  God. 

ILL  I  propose  to  discuss  several  fui-ther  particulars  which 
are  deemed  important,  in  regard  to  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  and  which  show  that  great  practical  wisdom  is  neces- 
sary to  \sin  souls  to  Christ 

I.  I  am  to  show  that  the  Bible  ascribes  conversion  to  men- 
There  are  many  passages  which  represent  the  conversion 
of  sinners  as  the  work  of  men.  In  Daniel,  xiL  3,  it  is  said, 
"  And  they  that  be  wise,  shall  shine  as  the  brightaiess  of  the 
firmanent ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness  as  stars 
for  ever  and  ever."  Here  the  work  is  ascribed  to  men.  So 
also  in  1  Cor.  iv.  15.  "  For  though  ye  have  ten  thousand  in- 
structors in  Christ,  yet  have  ye  not  many  fathers  :  for  in 
Christ  Jesus  I  have  begotten  you  through  the  Gospel"  Here 
the  apostle  explicitly  tells  the  Coiinthians  that  he  made  them 
Christians,  with  the  Gospel  or  ti'uth  which  he  preached. 
Again,  in  James,  v.  19,  20,  we  are  taught  the  same  thing. 
"Brethren,  if  any  of  you  do  err  fi'om  the  tiiith,  and  one  con- 
vert him  ;  let  him  know  that  he  which  converteth  the  sinner 
from  the  error  of  his  way  shall  save  a  soul  from  death,  and 
shall  hide  a  multitude  of  sins."  I  might  quote  many  other 
passages,  equally  explicit  But  these  are  sufficient  abimdant- 
ly  to  estaljhsh  the  fe,ct,  that  the  Bible  does  actually  ascribe 
conversion  to  men. 

n.  I  proceed  to  show  that  this  is  not  inconsistent  with 
those  passages  in  which  conversion  is  ascribed  to  God. 

And  here  let  me  remark,  that  to  my  mind  it  often  appears 
very  strange  that  men  should  ever  siippose  there  was  an  in- 
consistency here,  or  that  they  should  ever  have  overlooked 

a85) 


186  BOW  TO   PBBAOH   THE    GOSPEL. 

the  plain  oommon  sense  of  the  matter.  How  easy  it  is  to  see, 
that  there  is  a  sense  in  whif^h  God  converts  them,  and  another 
sense  in  which  men  convert  them. 

The  Scriptures  ascribe  the  conversion  of  a  sinner  to  four  dif- 
ferent agencies — to  men^  to  God,  to  the  truth,  and  to  the  sinner 
himself.  The  passages  which  ascribe  it  to  the  truth  are  the 
largest  class.  That  men  should  ever  have  overlooked  this  dis- 
tinction, and  should  have  regarded  conversion  as  a  work  per- 
formed exclusively  by  God,  is  surprising.  So  it  is  that  any  diffi- 
culty should  ever  have  been  felt  on  the  subject,  or  that  peo- 
ple should  ever  have  professed  themselves  unable  to  reconcale 
these  several  classes  of  passages. 

Why,  the  Bible  speaks  on  this  subjecft,  precisely  as  we 
speak  on  common  subjects.  There  is  a  man  who  has  been 
very  sick.  How  natural  it  is  for  him  to  say  of  his  physician, 
**  That  man  saved  my  life."  Does  he  mean  to  say  that  the 
physician  saved  his  life  without  reference  to  God  ?  Certainly 
not,  unless  he  is  an  infidel.  God  made  the  physician,  and  ho 
made  the  medicine  too.  And  it  never  can  be  shown  but  that 
the  agency  of  God  is  just  as  truly  concerned  in  making  the 
medicine  take  effect  to  save  life,  as  it  is  in  making  the  truth 
take  effect  to  save  a  souL  To  affirm  the  contrary  is  down- 
right atheism.  It  is  true  then,  that  the  physician  saved  him, 
and  it  is  also  true  that  God  saved  him.  It  is  equally  truf 
that  the  medicine  saved  his  life,  and  that  he  saved  his  own 
life  by  talking  the  mediciue  ;  for  the  medicine  would  have  doni 
no  good  if  he  had  not  voluntarily  taken  it,  or  yielded  his  body 
to  its  power. 

In  the  conversion  of  a  sinner,  it  is  true  that  God  gives  the 
truth  ef&ciency  to  turn  the  sinner  to  God.  He  is  an  active, 
voluntary,  powerful  agent  in  changing  the  miad.  But  he  is 
not  the  only  agent.  The  one  that  brings  the  truth  to  his  no- 
tice is  also  an  agent  We  are  apt  to  speak  of  ministers  and 
other  men  as  only  instruments  in  converting  sinners.  This  is 
not  exactly  correct  Man  is  something  more  than  an  instru- 
ment Truth  is  the  mere  unconscious  instrument  But  man 
is  more,  he  is  a  voluntary,  responsible  agent  in  the  business. 
In  my  printed  sermon,  No.  1.,  which  some  of  you  may  have 
seen,  I  have  illustrated  this  idea  by  the  case  of  an  individual 
standing  on  the  banks  of  Niagara. 

"  Suppose  yourself  to  be  standing  on  the  banks  of  the  Falls 
of  Niagara.  As  you  stand  upon  the  verge  of  the  precipice, 
you  behold  a  man  lost  in  deep  reverie,  approaching  its  verge 
unconscious  of  his  danger.  He  approaches  nearer  and  nearer, 
until  he  actually  hfts  his  foot  to  take  the  final  step  that  shall 


■OW  TO  PBEJlCH  thb  oospbu  18Y 

phmge  ^im  in  destructioiL  At  this  moment  yon  lift  yoni 
ira-ming  voice  alcove  the  roar  of  the  foaming  waters,  and  cry 
Dut,  Stop.  The  voice  pierces  his  ear,  and  breaks  the  charm 
that  binds  him  ;  he  turns  instantly  upon  his  heel ;  all  pale  and 
fcghast  he  retires,  quivering,  fi'om  the  verge  of  death.  He 
reels  cmd  almost  swoons  with  horror  ;  turns  and  walks  slowly 
to  the  pubUo  house  ;  you  foUow  him  ;  the  manifest  agitation 
in  his  countenance  calls  numbei*s  around  him  ;  and  on  t/ot/r 
approach,  he  points  to  you,  and  says,  That  man  saved  my 
liie.  Here  he  ascribes  the  work  to  you  ;  and  certainly  there 
is  a  sense  in  which  you  had  saved  him.  But,  on  being  further 
questioned,  he  says,  Stop !  how  that  word  rings  in  my  ears. 
Oh,  that  was  to  me  the  word  of  life  I  Here  he  ascribes  it  to 
the  word  that  aroused  him,  and  caused  him  to  turn.  But,  on 
conversing  still  further,  he  says.  Had  I  not  turned  at  that  ia- 
stant,  I  should  have  been  a  dead  man.  Here  he  speaks  of  it, 
and  truly,  as  his  own  act ;  but  directly  you  hear  Lim'  say,  Oh 
the  mercy  of  God !  if  God  had  not  interposed,  I  should  have 
been  lost  Now  the  only  defect  in  this  illustration  is  this  : 
In  the  case  supposed,  the  only  interference  on  the  part  of 
9-od,  was  a  providential  one  ;  and  the  only  sense  in  which  the 
laving  of  the  man's  life  is  ascribed  to  him,  is  in  a  providential 
lense.  But  in  the  conversion  of  a  sinner,  there  is  something 
tore  than  the  providence  of  God  employed ;  for  here  not 
*nly  does  the  providence  of  God  so  order  it,  that  the  preacher 
cries,  Stop,  but  the  Spirit  of  God  urges  the  truth  home  upon 
bim  with  such  tremendous  power  as  to  induce  him  to 
turn.** 

Not  only  does  the  preacher  cry.  Stop,  but  through  the  liv- 
ing voice  of  the  preacher,  the  Spirit  cries,  Stop.  The  preacher 
cries,  "  Turn  ye,  why  will  ye  die."  The  Spirit  pours  the  ex- 
postulation home  with  such  power,  that  the  sinner  turns. 
Now  in  speaking  of  this  change,  it  is  perfectly  proper  to  say, 
that  the  Spirit  turned  him,  just  as  you  would  say  of  a  man, 
who  had  persuaded  another  to  change  his  mind  on  the  sub- 
ject of  politics,  that  he  had  converted  him,  and  brought  him 
over.  It  is  also  proper  to  say  that  the  truth  converted  him  ; 
as  in  a  case  when  the  political  sentiments  of  a  man  were 
changed  by  a  certain  argument,  we  should  say  that  argument 
brought  him  over.  So  also  with  perfect  propriety  may  we 
ascribe  the  change  to  the  living  preacher,  or  to  him  who 
had  presented  the  motives  ;  just  as  we  should  say  of  a  law- 
yer who  had  prevailed  in  his  argimient  with  a  jmy  ;  he  baa 
got  his  case,  he  has  converted  tiie  jury.  It  is  &lso  with  the 
same  propriety  ascribed  to  the  individual  himself  whose  heart 


188  HOW  TO   PREACH   THE   GOSPEL, 

Is  changed ;  we  should  say  he  had  changed  his  mind,  he  haa 
come  over,  he  has  repented.  Now  it  is  strictly  true,  and  true 
La  the  most  absolute  and  highest  sense  ;  the  act  is  his  own  ' 
act,  the  turning  is  his  own  turning,  while  God  by  the  truth 
/las  induced  hrm  to  turn  ;  stiU  it  is  strictly  true  that  ho  has 
turned  and  has  done  it  himself.  Thus  you  see  the  sense  in 
which  it  is  the  work  of  God,  and  also  the  sense  in  which 
it  is  the  sianer's  own  work.  The  Spirit  of  God,  by  the 
truth,  influences  the  sinner  to  change,  and  in  this  sense  is  the 
efficient  cause  ©f  the  change.  But  the  sinner  actually  changes, 
and  is  therefore  himself,  in  the  most  proper  sense,  the  author 
of  the  change.  There  are  some  who,  on  reading  their  Bibles, 
fasten  their  eyes  upon  those  passages  that  ascribe  the  work 
to  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  seem  to  overlook  those  that  ascribe 
it  to  man,  and  speak  of  it  as  the  sinner's  own  act.  When 
they  have  quoted  Scripture  to  prove  it  is  the  work  of  God, 
they  seem  to  think  they  have  proved  that  it  is  that  in  which 
man  is  passive,  and  that  it  can  in  no  sense  be  the  work  of 
man.  Some  months  since  a  tract  was  written,  the  title  of 
which  was,  "  Kegeneration,  the  effect  of  Divine  Power."  The 
writer  goes  on  to  prove  that  the  work  is  wrought  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  there  stops.  Now  it  had  been  just  as 
true,  just  as  philosophical,  and  just  as  scriptural,  if  he  had  said, 
that  conversion  was  the  work  of  man.  It  was  easy  to  prove 
that  it  was  the  work  of  God,  in  the  sense  in  which  I  have  ex- 
plained it.  The  writer,  therefore,  tells  the  truth,  so  far  as  he 
goes  ;  but  he  has  told  only  half  the  truth.  For  while  there 
is  a  sense  in  which  it  is  the  work  of  God,  as  he  has  shown, 
there  is  also  a  sense  in  which  it  is  the  work  of  man,  as  we 
have  just  seen.  The  very  title  to  this  tract  is  a  stumbling 
block.  It  teUs  the  truth,  but  it  does  not  teU  the  whole  truth. 
And  a  tract  might  be  written  upon  this  proposition,  that 
"  Conversion  or  regeneration  is  the  worh  of  man  ;"  which  would 
be  just  as  true,  just  as  scriptural,  and  just  as  philosophical, 
as  the  one  to  which  I  have  alluded.  Thus  the  writer,  in  his 
zeal  to  recognise  and  honor  God  as  concerned  in  this  work, 
by  leaving  out  the  fact  that  a  change  of  heart  is  the  sinner's 
own  aoty  has  left  the  sinner  strongly  intrenched,  with  his 
weapons  in  his  rebelHous  hands,  stoutly  resisting  the  claims 
of  lus  Maker,  and  waiting  passively  for  God  to  make  him  a 
new  heart.  Thus  you  see  the  consistency  between  the  re- 
quirement of  the  text,  and  the  declared  fact  that  God  is  the 
author  of  the  new  heart.  God  commands  you  to  make  you 
a  new  heart,  expects  you  to  do  it,  and  if  it  ever  is  done,  yon 
must  do  it.** 
A.nd  let  me  tell  you,  sinner,  if  you  do  not  do  it  you  will  go 


HOW   TO    PBEACH   THE    GOSPEI*  180 

k)  ben,  and  to  all  eternity  you  will  feel  that  yon  deserved  to 

be  sent  there  for  not  havino-  done  it. 

TTT.  As  proposed,  I  shall  now  advert  to  several  important 
particuljirs  growing  out  of  this  subject,  as  connected  with 
preaching  the  Gospel,  and  which  show  that  great  practical 
wisdom  is  inchspensable  to  win  souls  to  Christ, 

And  FIRST,  in  regai'd  to  the  matter  of  preaching. 

1.  All  preaching  should  be  practical. 

The  proper  end  of  all  doctrine  is  practice.  Anything 
brought  foi'ward  as  doctrine,  which  cannot  be  made  use 
of  as  practical,  is  not  preaching  the  Gospel.  There  is  none 
of  that  sort  of  preaching  in  the  Bibla  That  is  all  practical 
"  All  Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is 
profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  in- 
struction in  righteousness  :  that  the  man  of  God  may  be 
perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works."  A 
vast  deal  of  preaching  in  the  present  day,  as  well  as  in 
past  ages,  is  called  doctrinal,  as  opposed  to  practical  preach- 
mg.  The  very  idea  of  making  this  distinction  is  a  device 
of  the  devil.  And  a  more  abominable  device  Satan  him- 
self never  devised  You  sometimes  hear  certain  men  tell 
a  wonderful  deal  about  the  necessity  of  "  indoctrinating 
the  peopla"  By  which  they  mean  something  difierent 
from  practical  preaching  ;  teaching  them  certain  doctrines, 
as  abstract  truiiis,  without  any  particular  reference  to  prao 
tice.  And  I  have  known  a  minister  in  the  midst  of  a  revival, 
while  surrounded  with  anxious  siimers,  leave  off  laboring 
to  convert  souls,  for  the  purpose  of  "  indoctrinating"  the 
young  converts,  for  fear  somebody  else  should  iadoctrinate 
them  before  him.  And  there  the  revival  stops  I  Either 
his  doctrine  was  not  true,  or  it  was  not  preached  in  the 
right  way.  To  preach  doctrines  in  an  abstract  way,  and 
not  in  reference  to  practice,  is  absurd-  God  always  brings 
in  doctrine  to  regulate  practice.  To  bring  forward  doc- 
trinal views  for  any  other  object  is  not  only  nonsense,  but  it 
is  wicked. 

Some  people  are  opposed  to  doctrinal  preachiog.  If  they 
have  been  used  to  near  doctrines  preached  in  a  cold,  ab- 
stract way,  no  wonder  they  are  opposed  to  it  They  ought 
to  be  opposed  to  such  preaching.  But  what  can  a  man 
preach,  who  preaches  no  doctiine  ?  If  he  preaches  no  doc- 
trine, he  preaches  no  gospel  And  if  he  does  not  preach  it 
in  a  practical  way,  he  does  not  preach  the  Gospel.  All 
preaching  should  be  doctiinal,  and  all  preaching  should 
be   practicaL     The  very  design   of  doctrine   i*»   ^   i^o^xoIaIh 


190  HOW  TO   PKEAOH  THB   OOSPKU 

pract3.ce.  Any  preaching  that  has  not  this  tendency  is  not 
the  GospeL  A  loose,  exhortatory  style  of  preaching  may  af- 
fect the  passions,  and  may  produce  excitement,  but  will 
never  sufficiently  rastruct  the  people  to  secure  soimd  convei^ 
sions.  On  the  other  hand,  preaching  doctrine  iu  an  abstrsict 
manner,  may  fill  the  head  with  ruytwns,  but  will  never  sanctify 
the  heart  or  life. 

2.  Preaching  should  be  direct.  The  Gospel  should  be 
preached  to  men,  and  not  about  them.  The  minister  must 
address  his  hearers.  He  must  preach  to  them  about  themsdve^ 
and  not  leave  the  impression  that  he  is  preaching  to  them 
about  others.  He  will  never  do  them  any  good,  farther  than 
he  succeeds  in  convinciag  each  individual  that  he  means  him. 
Many  preachers  seem  very  much  afraid  of  making  the  im- 
pression that  they  mean  anybody  in  particular.  They  are 
preaching  against  certaiu  sins,  not  that  have  anything  to  do 
with  the  dnner.  It  is  the  sin,  and  not  the  sinner,  that  they 
are  rebuking  ;  and  they  would  by  no  means  speak  as  if  the^ 
supposed  any  of  their  hearers  were  guilty  of  these  abominabli 
practices.  Now  this  is  anything  but  preaching  the  GospeL 
Thus  did  not  the  prophets,  nor  Christ,  nor  the  apostles.  Not 
do  those  ministers  do  this,  who  are  successful  in  winning 
souls  to  Christ 

3.  Another  very  important  thing  to  be  regarded  in  preach- 
ing is,  that  the  minister  should  hunt  after  sinners  and 
Christians,  wherever  they  may  have  intrenched  themselves 
in  inaction.  It  is  not  the  design  of  preaching,  to  make  men 
easy  and  quiet,  but  to  make  them  ACT.  It  is  not  the  design 
of  calling  in  a  physician  to  have  him  give  opiates,  and  so 
cover  up  the  disease  and  let  it  run  on  till  it  works  death;  but 
to  search  out  the  disease  wherever  it  may  be  hidden,  and  to 
remove  it.  So  if  a  professor  of  rehgion  has  backshdden,  and 
is  full  of  doubts  and  fears,  it  is  not  the  minister's  duty  to 
quiet  him  in  his  sins,  and  comfort  him,  but  to  hunt  him 
out  of  his  errors  and  backsKdings,  and  show  him  just  where 
he  stands,  and  what  it  is  that  makes  him  full  of  doubts  and 


A  minister  ought  to  know  the  religious  opinions  of  evtry 
tinner  in  his  congregation.  Indeed,  a  minister  in  the  country  is 
generally  inexcusable  if  he  does  not.  He  has  no  excuse  for  not 
knowing  the  religious  views  of  all  his  congregation,  and  of 
an  that  may  come  under  his  influence  if  he  has  had  oppor- 
tunity to  Imow  them.  How  otherwise  can  he  preadi  to 
them?  How  can  he  know  how  to  bring  forth  things  new 
ttnd  old,  and  adapt  ti-uth  to  their  case  ?    How  can  he  hu^i 


HOW   TO   PREACH   THE    GOSPEL.  Itl 

fchem  out  unless  he  knows  where  they  hide  themselves  ?  H€ 
may  ring  changes  on  a  few  fiuiilamental  doctiines,  Repent- 
ance and  Faith,  and  Faith  and  Repentance,  till  the  day  of 
judgment,  and  never  make  any  impression  on  many  minds. 
Every  sinner  has  some  hiding-place,  some  inti'enchment 
where  he  hngers.  He  is  in  possession  of  some  darling  LIE, 
with  which  he  is  quieting  himsell  Let  the  minister  find  it 
out  and  get  it  away,  either  in  the  j)ulpit  or  in  private,  or  the 
man  will  go  to  heU  in  his  sins,  and  his  blood  will  be  found  in 
the  minister's  skirts. 

4.  Another  important  thing  to  observe  is,  that  a  minister 
should  dweU  most  on  those  pai'ticular  points  which  are  most 
Deeded.     I  will  explain  what  I  mean. 

Sometimes  he  may  find  a  people  who  have  been  led  tc 
place  great  reliance  on  their  own  resolutions.  They  think 
they  can  consult  their  own  convenience,  and  by  and  by  they 
wiU  repent,  when  they  get  ready,  without  any  concern  about 
the  Spirit  of  God-  Let  him  take  up  these  notions,  and 
show  that  they  are  entirely  contrary  to  the  Scriptures.  Let 
him  show  that  if  the  Spirit  of  God  is  grieved  away,  however 
able  he  may  be,  it  is  certain  he  never  loill  repent,  and  that 
by  and  by,  when  it  shall  be  convenient  for  him  to  do  it,  he 
will  have  no  inclination.  The  minister  who  finds  these  errors 
prevailing,  should  expose  them.  He  should  hunt  them  out, 
and  understand  just  how  they  are  held,  and  then  preach  the 
class  of  truths  which  will  show  the  fallacy,  the  folly,  and  the 
danger  of  these  notions. 

So  on  the  other  hand  He  may  find  a  people  who  have 
got  such  views  of  Election  and  Sovereignty,  as  to  think  they 
have  nothing  to  do  but  to  wait  for  the  moving  of  the  waters. 
Let  him  go  right  over  against  them,  and  crowd  upon  them 
their  abihty  to  obey  God,  and  show  their  obhgation  and 
duty,  and  press  them  with  that  until  he  brings  them  to  sub- 
mit and  be  saved-  They  have  got  behind  a  perverted  view 
of  these  doctrines,  and  there  is  no  way  to  drive  them  oat 
of  the  hiding-place  but  to  set  them  right  on  these  points. 
Wherever  a  sinner  is  intrenched,  unless  yon  pour  hght  upon 
him  there,  you  will  never  move  him.  It  is  of  no  use  to  press 
him  with  those  truths  which  he  admits,  however  plainly 
they  may  in  fact  contradict  his  wrong  notions.  He  supposes 
them  to  be  perfectly  consistent,  and  does  not  see  the  incon- 
sistency, and  therefore  it  will  not  move  him,  or  biiug  him  to 
repentance. 

I  have  been  informed  of  a  minister  in  New  England,  who 
was  settled  in  a  congregation  which  had  long  enjoyed  httl* 


Ii3  HOW  TO  PBBACH  THB  GOSPSL. 

else  than  Arminian  preaching,  and  the  congregation  theni' 
selves  were  chiefly  Anmnians.  Well,  this  minister,  in  hia 
preaching,  strongly  insisted  on  the  opposite  points,  the 
doctrine  of  election.  Divine  sovereignty,  predestination,  eta 
The  consequence  was,  as  might  have  been  expected  where 
this  was  done  with  ability,  there  was  a  powerful  revival 
Some  time  afterwards  this  same  minister  wsis  called  to  labor 
in  another  field,  in  this  State,  where  the  people  were  all  on 
the  other  side,  and  strongly  tinctured  with  Antinomianism 
They  had  got  such  perverted  views  of  election,  and  Divine 
sovereignty,  that  they  were  continually  saying  they  had  no 
power  to  do  anything,  but  must  wait  God's  time.  Now, 
what  does  this  minister  do  but  immediately  go  to  preachiog 
the  doctrine  of  election.  And  when  he  was  asked,  how  he 
could  fliiTiTc  of  preaching  the  doctrine  of  election  so  much  to 
that  people,  when  it  was  the  very  thing  that  lulled  them  to  a 
deeper  slimiber,  he  repHed  "Why,  that's  the  very  class  of 

truths  by  which  I  had  such  a  great  revival  in ;"  not 

considering  the  difference  in  the  views  of  the  people.  And 
if  I  am  correctly  informed,  there  he  is  to  this  day,  preaching 
away  at  the  doctrine  of  election,  and  wondering  that  it  does 
Hot  produce  as  powerful  a  revival  as  it  did  in  the  other  place, 
probably  those  sinners  never  will  be  converted.  You  must 
take  things  as  they  are,  find  out  where  sinners  He,  and  pour 
in  truth  upon  them  there,  and  STAET  THEM  OUT  from 
their  refuges  of  lies.  It  is  of  vast  importance  that  a  minister 
should  find  out  where  the  congregation  are,  and  preach  ao- 
oordingly. 

I  have  been  in  many  places  in  times  of  revival,  and  I  have 
never  been  able  to  employ  precisely  the  same  course  of  preach- 
ing in  one  as  in  another.  Some  are  intrenched  behind  one 
refuge,  and  some  behind  another.  In  one  place,  the  church 
will  need  to  be  instructed,  in  another,  sumers.  In  one  place, 
one  set  of  truths,  in  another,  another  set.  A  minister  must 
find  out  where  they  are,  and  preach  aocordingly.  I  beheve 
this  is  the  experience  of  all  preachers  who  are  called  to  labor 
from  field  to  field. 

5.  If  a  minister  means  to  promote  a  revival,  he  should  be 
very  careful  not  to  introduce  controversy.  He  vtlQ  grieve 
away  the  Spirit  of  God.  In  this  wav  probably  more  revivals 
are  put  down,  than  in  any  other.  Look  back  upon  the  history 
of  the  church  from  the  beginning,  anH  you  will  see  that  mirm' 
iers  are  generally  responsible  for  grieving  away  the  Spirit  and 
causing  declensions  by  '^ntroversv  [t  is  the  ministers  who 
bring  forward  conti'overfiial  subjects  for  discussion,  and  by 


HOW  TO  PBBACH  THIS  GOSPEL  198 

ind  by  they  get  very  zealous  on  the  subject,  and  then  get  the 
church  mto  a  controversial  spirit,  and  so  the  Spirit  of  Gkxl  is 
^eved  away. 

If  I  had  time  to  go  over  the  history  of  the  church  from  the 
days  of  the  Apostles,  I  could  show  that  all  the  controveisies 
that  have  taken  place,  and  all  the  great  declensions  in  religion, 
boo,  were  chargeable  upon  ministers.  I  believe  the  ministers 
3f  the  present  day  are  responsible  for  the  present  state  of  the 
shurch,  and  it  vnll  be  seen  to  be  true  at  the  judgment  Who 
does  not  know  that  ministers  have  been  crying  out  "  Heresy," 
Mid  "  New  Measures,"  and  talking  about  the  "  Evils  of  Eevi- 
vstls,"  until  they  have  got  the  church  all  in  confusion  ?  Look 
at  the  poor  Presbyterian  church,  and  see  ministers  getting  up 
their  Act  and  Testimony,  and  keepiog  up  a  contmual  war  I 
0  God,  have  mercy  on  ministers.  They  talk  about  their  days 
of  fasting  and  prayer,  but  are  these  the  men  to  call  on  o^ien 
bo  fast  and  pray  ?  They  ought  to  fast  and  pray  themselves. 
Et  is  time  that  ministers  should  assemble  together,  and  fast 
and  pray  over  the  evil  of  controversy,  for  they  have  caused 
it.  The  church  itself  never  would  get  iQto  a  controversial 
spirit  unless  led  into  it  by  ministera  The  body  of  the  church 
are  always  averse  to  contiroversy,  and  will  keep  out  of  it,  only 
as  they  are  dragged  into  it  by  ministers.  When  Christians 
are  revived  they  are  not  incliaed  to  meddle  with  controversy, 
either  to  read  or  hear  it.  But  they  may  be  told  of  such  and 
such  "  damnable  heresies,"  that  are  afloat,  till  they  get  their 
feelings  enlisted  in  controversy,  and  then  farewell  to  the  revi- 
val If  a  minister,  in  preaching,  finds  it  necesssiry  to  discuss 
particular  points,  about  which  Christians  differ  in  opinion,  let 
nim  BY  ALL  JVIEANS  avoid  a  controversial  spirit  and  manner 
of  doing  it* 

6.  The  Gospel  should  be  preached  in  those  proportions,  that 
the  whole  Gospel  may  be  brought  before  the  minds  of  the  peo 
pie,  and  produce  its  proper  influence.  If  too  much  stress  is 
laid  on  one  class  of  truths,  the  Christian  character  will  not 
have  its  due  proportions.  Its  symmetry  will  not  be  perfect  If 
that  class  of  truths  be  almost  exclusively  dwelt  upon,  that  re 
quires  great  exertion  of  intellect,  without  being  brought  home 
to  the  heart  and  conscience,  it  will  be  found  that  the  church 
will  be  indoctrinated  in  those  views,  will  have  their  heads  filled 
with  notions,  but  will  not  be  awake,  and  active,  and  efficient 
in  the  promotion  of  religion.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
preaching  be  loose,  indefinite,  exhortatory,  and  highly  impae- 

*  ThiB  wM  Sftid  with  p«m  in  1889-4. 
9 


194  HOW  TO   PREACH   THE    GOSPEL. 

sioned,  the  church  will  be  like  a  ship,  with  too  mnch  sail  fc» 
her  ballast.  It  will  be  in  danger  of  being  swept  away  by  a 
tempest  of  feeling,  where  there  is  not  sufficient  knowledge  to 
prevent  their  being  candied  away  with  every  wind  of  doctrine. 
If  election  and  sovereignty  are  too  much  preached,  there  will 
be  Antinomianism  in  the  church,  and  sinners  will  hide  them- 
selves behind  the  delusion  that  they  can  do  nothing.  If  the 
other  doctrines  of  abihty  and  obligation  are  too  prominent, 
they  will  produce  Arminianism  in  the  church,  and  sinners  will 
be  blustering  and  self-confident 

When  I  entered  the  ministry,  there  had  been  so  much  said 
about  the  doctrine  of  election  and  sovereignty,  that  I  found 
it  was  the  universal  hiding  place,  both  of  sinners  and  of  the 
church,  that  they  could  not  do  anything,  or  could  not  obey  the 
Gospel  And  wherever  I  went,  I  found  it  indispensable  to  de- 
mohsh  these  refuges  of  Hes.  And  a  revival  would  in  no  way 
be  produced  or  carried  on,  but  by  dwelling  on  that  class  of 
truths,  which  holds  up  man's  abihty,  and  obligation,  and  re- 
sponsibihty.  This  was  the  only  class  of  truths  that  would 
bring  sinners  to  submission. 

It  was  not  so  in  the  days  when  President  Edwards  and 
Whitefield  labored.  Then  the  churches  in  New  England  had 
enjoyed  httle  else  than  Ai-minian  preaching,  and  were  all  rest- 
ing iQ  themselves  and  their  own  strength.  These  bold  and 
devoted  servants  of  God  came  out  and  declared  those  particu- 
lar doctrines  of  grace.  Divine  sovereignty,  and  election,  and 
they  were  greatly  blessed.  They  did  not  dwell  on  these  doc- 
trines exclusively,  but  they  preached  them  very  fully.  The 
consequence  was,  that  because  in  those  circumstances  revivals 
followed  from  such  preaching,  the  ministers  who  followed, 
continued  to  preach  these  doctrines  almost  exclusively.  And  they 
dwelt  on  them  so  long,  that  the  church  and  the  world  got  in- 
trenched behmd  them,  waiting  for  God  to  come  and  do  what 
he  required  them  to  do,  and  so  revivals  ceased  for  many  years. 

Now,  and  for  years  past,  muiisters  have  been  engaged  in 
hunting  them  out  from  these  refuges.  And  here  it  is  all  im- 
portant for  the  ministers  of  this  day  to  bear  in  mind,  that  if 
they  dwell  exclusively  on  abihty  and  obhgation,  they  will  get 
their  hearers  back  on  the  old  Arminian  ground,  and  then 
they  will  cease  to  promote  revivals.  Here  are  a  body  of  min- 
isters who  have  preached  a  great  deal  of  truth,  and  have  had 
great  revivals,  under  God  Now  let  it  be  known  and  remarked, 
that  the  reason  is,  they  have  hunted  sinners  out  from  their 
hiding  places.  But  if  they  continue  to  dwell  on  the  same 
olasB  of  truths  till  sinners  hide  themselves  behind  their  preach- 


HOW   TO   PBRAGH   THB   GOSPKL.  106 

ing,  another  class  of  truths  muflt  be  preached.  And  then  if 
thej  do  not  change  their  mode,  another  pall  will  hang  over 
the  church,  until  another  class  of  ministers  shall  arise  and 
hunt  sinners  out  of  those  new  retreats. 

A  right  view  of  both  classes  of  truths,  election  and  free- 
agency,  \Vill  do  no  hurt  They  are  eminently  calculated  to 
convert  sinners  and  strengihen  sainta  It  is  a  perverted  view 
which  chills  the  heart  of  the  church,  and  closes  the  eyes  of 
sinners  in  sleep,  tiU  they  sink  down  t>o  heU.  If  I  had  time  I 
would  remark  on  the  manner  in  which  I  have  sometimes 
heard  the  doctrines  of  Divine  sovereignty,  election,  and  abihty 
preached.  They  have  been  exhibited,  in  irreconcilable  con- 
tradiction, the  one  against  the  other.  Such  exhibitions  are 
anything  but  the  Gospel,  and  are  calculated  to  make  a 
sinner  feel  anything  else  rather  than  his  responsibility  to 
God 

By  preaching  truth  in  proper  proportions,  I  do  not  mean 
mingling  all  mings  together  in  the  same  sermon,  in  such  a 
way  that  sinners  will  not  see  then*  connection  or  consistency. 
A  minister  once  asked  another,  Why  do  you  not  preach  the 
doctrine  of  election  ?  Because,  said  the  other,  I  fiiid  sinners 
here  are  intrenched  behind  inability.  The  first  then  said  he 
once  knew  a  minister  who  used  to  preach  election  in  the  fore- 
noon, and  repentance  in  the  aftemooiL  Marvellous  grace  it 
must  be,  that  would  produce  a  revival  under  such  preaching 
What  connection  is  there  in  this  ?  Instead  of  exhibiting  to  the 
sinner  his  sins  in  the  morning,  and  then  and  in  the  afternoon 
calling  on  him  to  repent,  he  is  first  turned  to  the  doctrine  of 
election,  and  then  commanded  to  repent.  What  is  he  to  re- 
pent of  ?  Tlie  doctrine  of  election  ?  This  is  not  what  I  mean 
by  preaching  truth  in  its  proportion.  Bringing  things  to- 
gether, that  only  confound  the  sinner's  mind,  and  ovenvhelm 
him  with  a  fog  of  metaphysics,  is  not  wise  preaching.  When 
talking  of  election,  the  preacher  is  not  talking  of  the  sinner's 
duty.  It  has  no  relation  to  the  sinner's  duty.  Election  be- 
longs to  the  government  of  God.  It  is  a  part  of  the  exceed- 
ing richness  of  the  grace  of  God  It  shows  the  love  of  God, 
not  the  duty  of  the  sinner.  And  to  bring  election  and  repent- 
ance together  in  this  way  is  diverting  the  sinner's  mind  away 
from  his  duty.  It  has  been  customary,  in  many  places,  for  a 
long  time,  to  bring  the  doctrine  of  election  into  every  sermon. 
Sinners  have  been  commanded  to  repent,  and  told  that  they 
could  not  repent,  in  the  same  sermon.  A  great  deal  of  inge- 
nuity has  been  exercised  in  endeavoring  to  reconcile  a  sinner's 
"  inability"  with  his  obligation  to  obey  God     Election,  pre- 


196  HOW  TO  PSSACH  THE  GOSFBL. 

destiiiation,  free-agency,  inability,  and  duty,  have  all  been 
thrown  logether  in  one  promiscuous  jumble.  And  with  regard 
to  many  sermons,  it  has  been  too  true,  as  has  been  objected, 
that  ministers  have  preached,  "You  can  and  you  can% 
you  shall  and  you  sha'n't,  you  will  and  you  won't,  and 
you'll  be  damned  if  you  don't."  Such  a  mixture  of  truth 
and  error,  of  hght  and  darkness,  has  confounded  the  congre- 
gation, and  been  the  fruitful  source  of  UniversaUsm  and  every 
species  of  infidehty  and  error. 

7.  It  is  of  great  importance  that  the  simier  should  be  made 
to  feel  his  guilt,  and  not  left  to  the  impression  that  he  is  un- 
f or  lunate.  I  think  this  is  a  very  prevailing  fault,  particularly 
with  printed  books  on  the  subject  They  are  calculated  to 
make  the  sinner  think  more  of  his  sorrows  than  of  his  sins, 
and  feel  that  his  state  is  rather  unfortunate  than  criminal 
Perhaps  most  of  you  have  seen  a  very  lovely  little  book  r^ 
cently  published,  entitled  "Todd's  Lectures  to  Children."  It 
is  very  fine,  exquisitely  fine,  and  happy  in  some  of  its  illustrar 
tions  of  truth.  But  it  has  one  very  serious  fault.  Many  of 
its>  illustrations,  I  may  say  most  of  them,  are  not  calculated 
to  make  a  correct  impression  respecting  the  guilt  of  sinners, 
or  to  make  them  feel  how  much  they  have  been  to  blame. 
This  is  very  unfortunata  If  the  writer  had  guarded  his  illus- 
trations on  this  point,  so  as  to  make  them  impress  sinners 
with  a  sense  of  their  guilty  I  do  not  see  how  a  child  could 
read  through  that  book  and  not  be  converted. 

Multitudes  of  the  books  written  for  children,  and  for  adults 
too,  within  the  last  twenty  years,  have  run  into  this  mistake 
to  an  alarming  degree.  Mi^  Sherwood's  writings  have  this 
fault  standing  out  upon  almost  eveiy  page.  They  are  not  cal- 
culated to  make  the  sinner  blame  and  condemn  himsell  Un- 
til you  can  do  this,  the  Gospel  will  never  take  effect 

8.  A  prime  object  with  the  preacher  must  be  to  make  pres' 
ent  obligcUum  felt  I  have  talked,  I  suppose,  with  many  tiiou- 
sands  of  anxious  sinners.  And  I  have  found  that  they  had 
never  before  feU  the  pressure  of  present  obHgation.  The  im- 
pression is  not  commonly  made  by  ministers  in  their  preach- 
ing that  sinners  are  expected  to  repent  NOW.  And  if  minis- 
ters suppose  they  make  this  impression,  they  deceive  them- 
selves. Most  commonly  any  other  impression  is  made  upon 
the  minds  of  sinners  by  the  preacher,  than  that  they  are  ex- 
pected Tuxw  to  submit  Bat  what  sort  of  a  gospel  is  this  ? 
Does  God  authorize  such  an  impression  ?  Is  this  according 
to  the  preaching  of  Jesus  Chi-ist  ?  Does  the  Holy  Spirit, 
when  striving  with  the  aiimer,  make  the  impression  upon  hia 


HOW   TO    PREACH   THE    GOflPEL.  191 

Dimd  that  he  is  not  expected  to  obey  now  ? — Was  any  such 

impression  produced  by  the  preaching  of  the  apostles  ?  How 
does  it  happen  that  so  many  ministers  now  preach,  so  as  in 
fact  to  make  an  impression  on  their  hearers,  that  they  are  not 
expected  to  repent  now?  Until  the  sinner's  conscience  is 
reached  on  this  subject,  you  preach  to  him  in  vain.  And  until 
ministers  learn  how  to  preach  so  as  to  make  the  right  impres» 
sion,  the  world  never  can  be  converted.  Oh,  to  what  an  alarm- 
Lug  extent  does  the  impression  now  prevail  among  the  impeni- 
tent, that  they  are  not  expected  to  repent  now,  but  must  wait 
God's  time ! 

9.  Sinners  ought  to  be  made  to  feel  that  they  have  som&- 
thing  to  do,  and  that  is  to  repent ;  that  it  is  something  which 
no  other  being  can  do  for  them,  neither  God  nor  man,  and 
something  which  they  can  do,  and  do  now.  ReUgion  is  some- 
thing to  do,  not  something  to  wait  for.  And  they  must  do  it 
now,  or  they  are  in  danger  of  eternal  death. 

10.  Ministers  should  never  rest  satisfied,  imtil  they  have 
ANNIHILATED  every  excuse  of  sinners.  The  plea  of  "  in- 
ability" is  the  worst  of  all  excuses.  It  slanders  God  so,  charg- 
ing him  with  iafinite  tyranny,  in  commanding  men  to  do  that 
which  they  have  no  power  to  do.  Make  the  sinner  see  and 
feel  that  this  is  the  very  nature  of  his  excuse.  Make  the  sin- 
ner see  that  aU  pleas  in  excuse  for  not  submitting  to  God,  art 
an  act  of  rebelhon  against  him.  Tear  away  the  last  TiTT^ 
which  he  gi'as|3S  in  Ins  hand,  and  make  him  feel  that  he  il 
absolutely  condemned  before  God 

11.  Sinners  should  be  made  to  feel  that  if  they  now  grieve 
away  the  Spirit  of  God,  it  is  very  probable  that  they  will  be 
lost  for  ever.  There  is  infinite  danger  of  this.  They  should 
be  made  to  imderstand  why  they  are  dependent  on  the  Spirit, 
and  that  it  is  not  because  they  cannot  do  what  God  commands, 
but  because  they  are  unwilling  ;  but  that  they  are  so  imwilling 
that  it  is  just  as  certain  they  will  not  repent  without  the  Holy 
Ghost,  as  if  they  were  now  in  hell,  or  as  if  they  were  actually 
onable.  They  are  so  opposed  and  so  imwilling,  that  they 
never  will  repent  in  the  world,  unless  God  sends  his  Holy 
Spirit  upon  them. 

Show  them,  too,  that  a  sinner  under  the  Gospel,  who  hears 
the  truth  preached,  if  converted  at  all,  is  generally  converted 
yoimg.  And  if  not  converted  while  young,  he  is  commonly 
given  up  of  God.  WTiere  the  truth  is  preached,  sinners  are 
either  gospel-hardened  or  converted.  I  know  some  old  siu- 
ners  are  converted,  but  they  are  rather  exception]^  and  by  no 
means  common. 


198  HOW   TO    PBB40H   THB    Q08PBZ» 

I  wish  now,  secondly,  to  make  a  few  remarks  on  the  massed 

OF  PREACHING. 

1.  It  should  be  conversational.  Preaching,  to  be  under 
stood,  should  be  colloquial  in  its  style.  A  minister  must 
preach  just  as  he  would  talk,  if  he  wishes  to  be  fully  under- 
stood. Nothing  is  more  calculated  to  make  a  sinner  feel  that 
rehgion  is  some  mysterious  thing  that  he  cannot  understand, 
than  this  mouthing,  formal,  lofty  style  of  speaking,  so  gener- 
ally employed  in  the  pulpit.  The  minister  ought  to  do  as  the 
lawyer  does  when  he  wants  to  make  a  jury  understand  him 
perfectly.  He  uses  a  style  perfectly  colloquial.  This  lofty, 
BweUing  style  will  do  no  good.  The  Gospel  will  never  pro- 
duce any  great  effects,  imtil  ministers  talk  to  their  hearers,  in 
the  pulpit,  as  they  talk  in  private  conversation. 

2.  It  must  be  in  the  language  of  common  life.  Not  only 
should  it  be  colloquial  in  its  style,  but  the  words  should  be 
such  as  are  in  common  usa  Otherwise  they  wiU  not  be 
understood.  In  the  New  Testament  you  wiU  observe  that 
Jesus  Christ  invariably  uses  words  of  the  most  common  kind. 
You  scarcely  find  a  word  of  his  instructions,  that  any  child 
cannot  understand.  The  language  of  the  gospels  is  the  plain- 
est, simplest,  and  most  easily  understood  of  any  language  in 
the  world. 

For  a  minister  to  neglect  this  principle,  is  wicked.  Some 
ministers  use  langiiage  that  is  purely  technical  in  preaching. 
They  think  to  avoid  the  mischief  by  explaining  the  meaning 
fully  at  the  outset ;  but  this  will  not  answer.  It  will  not  effect 
the  object  in  making  the  people  understand  what  he  means. 
If  he  uses  a  word  that  is  not  in  common  use,  and  that  people 
do  not  understand,  his  explanation  may  be  very  full,  but  the 
difficcdty  is  that  people  will  forget  his  explanations  and  then 
his  words  are  aU  Greek  to  them.  Or  if  he  uses  a  word  in 
common  use,  but  employs  it  in  an  uncowLTnon  sense,  giving  his 
special  explanations,  it  is  no  better  ;  for  the  people  will  soon 
forget  his  special  explanations,  and  then  the  impression  acta* 
ally  conveyed  to  their  minds  will  be  according  to  their  common 
understanding  of  the  word.  And  thus  he  will  never  convoy 
-tihe  right  idea  to  his  congregation.  It  is  amazing  how  many 
men  of  thinking  minds  there  are  in  congregations,  who  do 
not  imderstand  the  most  common  technical  expressions  em- 
ployed by  ministers,  such  as  regeneration,  sanctiffcation,  et<j. 

Use  words  that  can  be  perfectly  understood.  Do  not,  for 
fear  of  appearing  unlearned,  use  language  half  Latin  and  half 
Greek,  which  the  people  do  not  understand.  The  apostle 
Bays  the  man  is  a  barbaiian,  who  uses  language  that  the  peo 


HOW    TO    PEKACH    THE    OOSPEL.  19t 

pfB  do  not  understand.  And  "  if  the  trumpet  give  an  uncei> 
tain  sound,  who  shall  prepare  himself  for  the  battle  ? "  In 
the  apostles'  days  there  were  fe^)me  preachers,  who  were  mar 
vellously  proud  of  cHsj^laying  their  command  of  language, 
and  showing  off  the  variety  of  tongues  they  could  speak, 
wliich  the  common  people  could  not  understand  The  apostle 
rebukes  this  spirit  sharply,  and  says,  "  I  had  rather  epe&k  five 
words  with  my  understanding,  that  by  my  voice  I  might 
teach  othei-s  also,  than  ten  thousand  words  in  an  unknown 
tongue." 

I  have  sometimes  heard  ministers  preach,  even  when  there 
was  a  revival,  when  I  have  wondered  what  that  part  of  the 
congi-egation  would  do,  who  had  no  dictionary.  So  many 
phrases  were  brought  in,  manifbstly  to  adorn  tiie  discourse, 
rather  than  to  instruct  the  people,  that  I  have  felt  as  if  I 
wanted  to  tell  the  man,  "  Sit  down,  and  not  confound  the  peo- 
ple's minds  with  your  barbarian  preaching,  that  they  cannot 
understand." 

3.  Preaching  should  be  parabdicaJL  That  is,  illustrations 
should  be  constantly  used,  drawn  from  incidents,  real  or  sup- 
posed. Jesus  Christ  constantly  illustrated  his  instructions  in 
this  way.  He  would  either  advance  a  principle  and  then  illus- 
trate it  by  a  parable,  that  is,  a  short  story  of  some  event  real 
or  imaginary,  or  else  he  would  bring  out  the  principle  in  the 
parable.  There  are  millions  of  facts  that  can  be  used  to  ad- 
vantage, and  yet  very  few  ministers  dare  to  use  them,  for  fear 
somebody  will  reproach  them.  "Oh,"  says  somebody,  "  he 
tells  stories."  Tells  stories!  Why,  that  is  the  way  Jesus 
Christ  preached  And  it  is  the  only  way  to  preach-  Facts, 
real  or  supposed,  should  be  used  to  show  the  truth.  Truths 
not  illustrated,  are  generally  just  as  well  calculated  to  convert 
sinners  as  a  mathematical  demonstration.  Is  it  always  to  be 
so?  Shall  it  always  be  matter  of  reproach,  that  ministers 
follow  the  example  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  iUustrating  truths  by 
facts  ?  Let  them  do  it,  and  let  fools  reproach  them  as  story- 
telling ministers.  They  have  Jesus  Christ  and  common  sense 
on  their  sida 

4  The  illustrations  should  be  drawn  from  common  life,  and 
the  common  business  of  society.  I  once  heard  a  minister 
illustrate  his  ideas  by  the  manner  in  which  merchants  trans- 
act busiaess  in  their  stores.  Another  minister  who  was  pres- 
ent made  some  remarks  to  him  afterwards.  He  objected  to 
this  ill  astration  particularly,  because,  he  said,  it  was  too  fami- 
Uar,  and  was  letting  down  the  dignity  of  the  pulpit  He  said 
all  illustration  in  pi-eaching  should  be  drawn  from  ancient 


100  HOW   TO   PREACH   THE   GOSPEL. 

history,  or  from  some  elevated  source,  that  would  keep  up  tha 
dignity  of  the  pulpit.  Dignity  indeed !  Just  the  language  of 
the  deviL  He  rejoices  in  it.  Why,  the  object  of  an  illustra- 
tion is,  to  make  people  see  the  truth,  not  to  bolster  up  pulpit 
dignity.  A  minister  whose  heart  is  in  the  work,  does  not  use 
an  illustration  to  make  people  stare,  but  to  make  them  see  the 
truth.  If  he  brought  forward  his  illustrations  from  ancient 
history,  it  could  not  make  the  people  see,  it  would  not  illus- 
trate anything.  The  novelty  of  the  thing  might  awaken  their 
attention,  but  then  they  would  lose  the  truth  itself.  For  if 
the  illustration  itself  be  a  novelty,  the  attention  will  be  direct- 
ed to  this  fact  as  a  matter  of  history,  and  the  truth  itself ^ 
which  it  was  designed  to  illustrate,  will  be  lost  sight  of.  The 
illustration  should,  if  possible,  be  a  matter  of  common  occur- 
rence, and  the  more  common  the  occurrence  the  more  sure  it 
will  be,  not  to  fix  attention  upon  itself^  but  it  serves  as  a 
medium  through  which  the  truth  is  conveyed.  I  have  been 
pained  at  the  very  heart,  at  hearing  illustrations  drawn  from 
ancient  history,  of  which  not  one  in  a  hundred  of  the  congre- 
gation had  ever  heard.  The  veiy  manner  in  which  they  were 
adverted  to,  was  strongly  tinctured,  to  say  the  least,  with  the 
appearance  of  vanity,  and  an  attempt  to  surprise  the  people 
with  an  exhibition  of  learning. 

The  Saviour  always  illustrated  his  instructions  by  things 
that  were  taking  place  among  the  people  to  whom  he  preached, 
and  with  which  their  minds  were  familiar.  He  descended 
often  very  far  below  what  is  now  supposed  to  be  essential  to 
support  the  dignity  of  the  pulpit  He  talked  about  the  hens 
and  chickens,  and  children  in  market-places,  and  sheep  and 
lambs,  shepherds  and  farmers,  and  husbandmen  and  mer^ 
chants.  And  when  he  talked  about  kings,  as  in  the  marriage 
of  the  long's  son,  and  the  nobleman  that  went  into  a  fir 
country  to  receive  a  kingdom,  he  had  reference  to  historical 
facts,  that  were  well  known  among  the  people  at  the  tima 
The  illustration  should  always  be  drawn  from  things  so  com- 
mon that  the  illustration  itself  will  not  attract  attention  away 
from  the  subject,  but  that  people  may  see  through  it  the  truth 
illustrated- 

5.  Preaching  should  be  repetitious.  If  a  minister  wishes 
to  preach  with  effect,  he  must  not  be  afraid  of  repeating 
whatever  he  sees  is  not  perfectly  understood  by  his  hearers. 
Here  is  the  evil  of  using  notes.  The  preacher  preaches 
right  along  just  as  he  has  it  written  down,  and  cannot  ob- 
serve whether  he  is  understood  or  not.  If  he  interrupts  hifl 
reading,  and  attempts  to  catch  the  countenances  of  hia  audi* 


HOW   TO    PBSACU   TUK    UOSPiiJ^  fOl 

ence,  and  to  explain  where  he  sees  they  do  not  understand, 
he  gets  lost  and  confused,  and  gives  it  up.  K  a  minister  has 
his  eyes  on  on  tiie  people  he  is  preaching  to,  he  can  com 
monly  tell  by  their  looks  whether  they  understand  him.  And 
if  he  sees  they  do  not  understand  any  particular  point,  let 
him  stop  and  illustrate  it.  If  they  do  not  understand  one 
illustration,  let  him  give  another,  and  make  it  all  clear  to 
their  minds,  before  he  goes  on.  But  those  who  write  their 
sermons  go  right  on,  in  a  regular  consecutive  train,  just  as 
in  an  essay  or  a  book,  and  do  not  repeat  their  thoughts  till 
the  audience  fully  comprehend  them. 

I  was  conversing  with  one  of  the  first  advocates  in  this 
country.  He  said  the  difficulty  which  preachers  find  in  mak- 
ing themselves  understood,  is,  that  they  do  not  repeat  enough. 
Says  he,  "  In  addressing  a  juiy,  I  always  expect  that  what- 
ever I  wish  to  impress  upon  their  minds,  I  shall  have  to  re- 
peat at  least  twice,  and  often  I  repeat  it  thi-ee  or  four  times, 
and  even  as  many  times  as  there  are  jm'jTiien  before  me. 
Otherwise,  I  do  not  carry  their  minds  along  with  me,  so  thaft 
they  can  feel  the  force  of  what  comes  afterwards."  If  a 
jui'y  under  oath,  called  to  decide  on  the  common  affairs  of 
fhis  world,  cannot  apprehend  an  argument  unless  there  is  so 
much  repetition,  how  is  it  to  be  expected  that  men  will  un* 
derstand  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  vrithout  it. 

In  like  manner  the  minister  ought  to  turn  an  important 
thought  over  and  over  before  his  audience,  till  even  the  chil- 
di-en  understand  it  perfectly.  Do  not  say  that  so  much  repe- 
tition win  create  disgust  in  cultivated  minds.  It  wiU  not 
disgust.  This  is  not  what  disgusts  thinking  men.  They  are 
not  weary  of  the  efforts  a  minister  makes  to  be  understood. 
The  fact  is,  the  more  simple  a  preacher's  illustrations  are, 
and  the  more  plain  he  makes  everything,  the  more  men  of 
mind  are  interested  I  kn'^w  that  men  of  the  first  minds 
often  get  ideas  they  never  had  before,  fi-om  illustrations  which 
were  designed  to  bring  the  Gospel  down  to  the  comprehension 
of  a  child.  Such,  men  are  commonly  so  occupied  with  the 
aSairs  of  this  world,  that  they  do  not  think  much  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion,  and  they  therefore  need  the  plainest  preach- 
ing, and  they  will  hke  it. 

^  6.  A  minister  should  always  feel  deeply  his  subject,  and 
then  he  will  suit  the  action  to  the  word  and  the  word  to  the 
action,  so  as  to  make  the  fiiU  impression  which  the  truth  ia 
calculated  to  make.  He  should  be  in  solemn  earnest  in  what 
he  says.  I  heard  latelv  a  most  judicious  criticism  on  this 
Bubject  "  How  important  it  is  that  a  mimster  should  feed 
9* 


SOJ  HOW   TO    PREACH    THE    GOSPEL, 

what  he  says.  Then  his  actions  will  of  course  correspond  id 
his  words.  If  he  undertakes  to  make  gestures,  his  arms  may 
go  like  a  windmill,  and  yet  make  no  impression."  It  requirea 
the  utmost  stretch  of  art  on  the  stage  for  the  actors  to  make 
their  hearers  feeL  The  design  of  elocution  is  to  teach  this 
skill  Bnt  if  a  man  feels  his  subject  fuUy,  he  will  naturally 
do  it.  He  will  naturally  do  the  very  thing  that  elocution 
laboriously  teaches.  See  any  common  man  in  the  streets, 
who  is  earnest  in  talking.  See  with  what  force  he  gestures. 
See  a  woman  or  a  child  in  earnest.  How  natural  To  ges- 
ture with  their  hands  is  as  natural  as  it  is  to  move  their 
tongue  and  hps.     It  is  the  perfection  of  eloquence. 

Let  a  minister,  then,  only  feel  what  he  says,  and  not  be  tied 
to  his  notes,  to  read  an  essay,  or  to  speak  a  piece,  like  a  school- 
boy, first  on  one  foot  and  then  on  the  other,  put  out  first  one 
hand  and  then  the  other.  Let  him  speak  as  he  feels,  and 
act  as  he  feels,  and  he  wiU  be  eloquent. 

No  wonder  that  a  great  deal  of  preaching  produces  so 
httle  effect.  Gestures  are  of  more  importance  than  is  gener- 
ally supposed.  Mere  words  wiU  never  express  the  full  mean- 
ing of  the  Gospel  The  manner  of  saying  it  is  almost  every- 
thing. Suppose  one  of  you,  that  is  a  mother,  goes  home  to- 
night, and  as  soon  as  you  get  into  the  door,  the  nurse  comes 
rushing  up  to  you,  with  her  whole  soul  in  her  countenance, 
and  tells  you  that  your  child  is  burnt  to  death.  You  would 
believe  it,  and  you  would  feel  it  too,  at  once.  But  suppose 
she  comes  and  tells  it  in  a  cold  and  careless  manner.  Would 
that  arouse  you  ?  No.  It  is  the  earnestness  of  her  manner, 
and  the  distress  of  her  looks,  that  tells  the  story.  You  know 
something  is  the  matter  before  she  speaks  a  word. 

I  once  heard  a  remark  made,  respecting  a  young  minister's 
preaching,  which  was  instructiva  He  was  imeducated,  in  the 
common  sense  of  the  term,  but  well  calculated  to  win  souls. 
It  was  said  of  him,  *'  The  manner  in  which  he  comes  in,  and 
sits  in  the  pulpit,  and  rises  to  speak,  is  a  sermon  of  itsell 
It  shows  that  he  has  something  to  say  that  is  important  and 
solemn."  That  man's  manner  of  saying  some  things  I  have 
known  to  move  the  feelings  of  a  whole  congregation,  when 
the  same  things  said  in  a  prosing  way  would  have  produced 
no  effect  at  all 

A  fact  which  was  stated  by  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
professors  of  elocution  in  the  United  States,  ought  to  impress 
ministers  on  this  subject.  That  man  was  an  infidel  He  said, 
"  I  have  been  fourteen  years  employed  in  teaching  elocution 
to  ministers,  and  I  know  they  do  not  beheve  the  Christian 


BOW   TO   PBISACH   THE    GOSPEL.  301 

religioiL  The  Bible  may  be  trua  I  do  not  pretend  to  know 
as  to  that,  but  I  know  these  ministers  do  not  beheve  it  I 
can  demonstrate  that  they  do  not.  The  perfection  of  my  art 
is  to  teach  them  to  speak  naturally  on  this  subject.  I  go 
to  their  studies,  and  converse  with  them,  and  they  speak  elo- 
quently. I  say  to  them,  Gentlemen,  if  you  will  preach  just 
as  you  yourselves  natiu-ally  speak  on  any  other  subject,  in 
which  you  are  interested,  you  do  not  need  to  be  taught.  That 
is  just  what  I  am  trying  to  teach  you.  I  hear  you  talk  on 
other  subjects  with  admirable  force  and  eloquence.  I  see 
you  go  into  the  pulpit,  and  you  speak  and  act  as  if  you  did 
not  beheve  what  you  are  saying.  I  have  told  them,  again  and 
again,  to  talk  in  the  pulpit  as  they  naturally  talk  to  me. 
And  I  cannot  make  them  do  it,  and  so  I  know  they  do  not  be- 
lieve the  Christian  rehgion." 

I  have  mentioned  tins  to  show  how  univej-sal  it  is,  that  men 
will  gesture  right  if  they  feel  right  The  only  thing  in  the 
way  of  ministers  being  natural  speakers  is,  that  they  do  not 
DEEPLY  FEEL.  How  can  they  be  natural  in  elocution, 
when  they  do  not  feel  ? 

7.  A  minister  should  aim  to  convert  his  congregation.  But 
you  will  ask.  Does  not  all  preaching  aim  at  tins  ?  No.  A 
minister  always  has  some  aim  in  preaching,  but  most  sermons 
were  never  aimed  at  converting  sinners.  And  if  sinners 
were  converted  under  them,  the  preacher  himself  would  be 
amazed.  I  once  heard  a  fact  on  this  point  There  were 
two  yoimg  ministers  who  had  entered  the  ministry  at  the 
same  time.  One  of  them  had  great  success  in  converting 
sioners,  the  other  none.  The  latter  inquu-ed  of  the  other,  one 
day,  what  was  the  reason  of  this  difference.  "  Why,"  rephed 
the  other,  "  the  reason  is,  that  I  aim  at  a  different  end  from 
you,  m  preaching.  My  object  is  to  convert  sinners,  but  you 
aim  at  no  such  thing.  And  then  you  go  and  lay  it  to  sov- 
ereignty ui  God,  that  you  do  not  produce  the  same  effect, 
when  you  never  aim  at  it  Here,  take  one  of  my  sermons, 
and  preach  it  to  your  people,  and  see  what  the  effect  will  be." 
The  man  did  so,  and  preached  the  sermon,  and  it  did  pro- 
duce effect.  He  was  frightened  when  sinners  began  to  weep  ; 
and  when  one  came  to  him  after  meeting  to  ask  what  he 
should  do,  the  minister  apologized  to  him,  and  said,  "  I  did 
not  aim  to  wound  you,  I  am  sony  if  I  have  hm*t  your  feel- 
ings."    Oh,  horrible ! 

8.  A  minister  must  anticipate  the  objections  of  sinners,  and 
answer  them.  W^hat  does  the  lawyer  do  when  pleading  be- 
fore a  iury  ?     Oh,  how  differently  is  the  cause  of  Jesus  Christ 


S04  HOW  TO   FBEACH   THB   GOSFBL. 

pleaded  from  human  causes  I  It  was  remarked  by  a  lawyer, 
that  the  cause  of  Jesus  Clirist  had  the  fewest  able  advocates 
of  any  cause  in  the  world.  And  I  partly  believe  it.  Does  a 
lawyer  go  along  in  his  argument  in  a  regular  train,  and  not 
explain  anything  obscure,  or  anticipate  the  arguments  of 
his  antagonist  ?  If  he  did  so,  he  would  lose  his  case  to  a 
certainty.  But,  no.  The  lawyer,  who  is  pleading  for  money, 
anticipates  every  objection,  which  may  be  made  by  his  antag» 
onist,  and  carefully  removes  or  explains  them,  so  as  to  leave 
the  ground  all  clear  as  he  goes  along,  that  the  jury  may  be 
settled  on  every  point.  But  ministers  often  leave  one  diffi- 
culty and  another  untouched-  Sinners  who  hear  them  feel 
the  difficulty,  and  it  is  never  got  over  in  their  minds,  and 
they  never  know  how  to  remove  it,  and  perhaps  the  minister 
never  takes  the  trouble  to  know  that  such  difficulties  exist, 
and  yet  he  wonders  why  his  congregation  is  not  converted, 
and  why  there  is  no  revival.  How  can  he  wonder  at  it,  when 
he  has  never  hunted  up  the  difficulties  and  objections  that 
sinners  feel,  and  removed  them  ? 

9.  If  a  minister  means  to  preach  the  Gospel  with  effect  he 
must  be  sure  not  to  he  fnonotonous.  If  he  preaches  in  a  mo- 
notonous way,  he  vdll  preach  the  people  to  sleep.  Any  mo- 
notonous soimd,  great  or  small,  if  continued,  disposes  people 
to  sleep.  The  falls  of  Niagara,  the  roaring  of  the  ocean,  oi 
any  sound  ever  so  great  or  small,  has  this  effect  naturally  on 
the  nervous  system.  You  never  hear  this  monotonous  man- 
ner from  people  in  conversation.  And  a  minister  cannot  be 
monotonous  in  preaching,  if  he  feels  what  he  says. 

10.  A  minister  should  address  the  feelings  enough  to  secure 
attention,  sind  then  deal  with  the  conscience^  and  probe  to  the 
quick.  Appeals  to  the  feelings  alone  will  never  convert  sin- 
ners. If  the  preacher  deals  too  much  in  these,  he  may  get  up 
an  excitement,  and  have  wave  after  wave  of  feeling  flow  over 
the  congregation,  and  people  may  be  carried  away  as  with  9 
flood,  and  rest  in  false  hopes.  The  only  way  to  secure  so\ind  con 
versions  is  to  deal  faithfully  with  the  conscience.  If  attention 
flags  at  any  time,  appeal  to  the  feelings  again,  and  rouse  it  up ; 
but  do  your  work  with  conscience. 

11.  If  he  can,  it  is  desirable  that  a  minister  should  learn 
the  effect  of  one  sermon,  before  he  preaches  another.  Let  hirp 
learn  if  it  is  understood,  if  it  has  produced  any  impression, 
if  any  difficulties  are  felt  in  regard  to  the  subject  which  need 
clearing  up,  if  any  objections  are  raised,  and  the  Hka  When 
he  knows  it  all,  then  he  knows  what  to  preach  next.  What 
would  be  thought  of  the  physician  who  should  give  median© 


BOW   TO   PBEACH   THE    GOSPEU  t06 

k>  his  patient,  and  then  give  it  again  and  again,  without  try- 
ing to  learn  the  effect  of  the  first,  or  whether  it  had  produced 
iny  effect  or  not  ?  A  minister  never  will  be  able  to  deal  with 
miners  as  he  ought,  till  he  can  find  out  whether  his  instruo- 
don  has  been  received  and  understood,  and  whether  the  dif- 
ficulties in  sinners'  minds  are  cleared  away,  and  their  path 
open  to  the  Saviour,  so  that  they  need  not  stumble  and  stum- 
ble till  their  souls  are  lost 

I  had  designed  to  notice  several  other  points,  but  time  doet 
not  admit     I  wish  to  close  with  a  few 


RWMARKH. 

1.  We  see  why  so  few  of  the  leading  minds  in  many  com- 
mnnities  are  converted. 

Until  the  late  revivals,  professional  men  were  rarely  reached 
by  preaching,  and  they  were  almost  all  infidels  at  heart  Peo- 
ple almost  understood  the  Bible  to  warrant  the  idea,  that  they 
could  not  be  converted-  The  reason  is  obvious.  The  Gospd 
had  not  been  commended  to  the  consciences  of  such  men. 
Ministers  had  not  grappled  vdth  mind,  and  reasoned  so  as  to 
make  that  class  of  mind  see  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  and  feel 
its  power,  and  consequently  such  persons  had  come  to  regard 
religion  as  something  unworthy  their  notice. 

But  of  late  years  the  case  is  altered,  and  in  some  places 
there  have  been  more  of  this  class  of  persons  converted,  in 
proportion  to  their  numbers,  than  of  any  othera  That  is 
because  they  were  made  to  understand  the  claims  of  the  Gos- 
peL  The  preacher  grappled  with  their  minds,  and  showed 
them  the  reasonableness  of  religion.  And  when  this  is  done, 
it  is  found  that  that  class  of  minds  are  more  easily  converted 
than  any  other.  They  have  so  much  better  capacity  to  re« 
ceive  an  argument,  and  are  so  much  more  in  the  habit  of 
yielding  to  the  force  of  reason,  that  as  soon  as  the  Gospel 
gets  a  fair  hold  of  their  minds,  it  breaks  them  right  down, 
and  melts  them  at  the  feet  of  Christ 

2.  Before  the  Gospel  can  take  general  effect,  we  must  have 
a  dass  of  extempore  preachers,  for  the  following  reasons  : 

(1)  No  set  of  men  can  stand  the  labor  of  writing  sermon* 
and  doin^  all  the  preaching  which  will  be  requisita 

(2.)  Written  preaching  is  not  calculated  to  produce  the 
requisite  effect  Such  preaching  does  not  present  truth  in 
the  right  shape. 

(3. )  It  is  impossible  for  a  man  who  writes  his  sermons  to 
arrange  his  matter,  and  turn  and  choose  his  thoudita.  so  as 


206  HOW  TO   PREACH   THB   GOSPEl^ 

to  produce  the  same  effect  as  when  he  addresses  the  people 
directly,  and  makes  them  feel  that  he  means  them.  Writing 
sermons  had  its  origin  in  times  of  pohtical  difficulty.  The 
practice  was  unknown  in  the  apostles'  days.  Ko  doubt  writ- 
ten sermons  have  done  a  great  deal  of  good,  but  they  can 
never  give  to  the  Gospel  its  great  power.  Perhaps  many 
ministers  have  been  so  long  trained  in  the  use  of  notes,  that 
they  had  better  not  throw  them  away.  Perhaps  they  would 
make  bad  work  without  them.  The  difficulty  would  not  be 
for  the  want  of  mind,  but  from  wrong  training.  The  bad 
habit  is  begun  with  the  school  boy,  who  is  called  to  "  speak 
^  pieca"  Instead  of  being  set  to  express  his  own  thoughts 
md  feelings  in  his  own  language,  and  with  his  own  natural 
manner,  such  as  nature  herself  prompts,  he  is  made  to  com- 
mit another  person's  writing  to  memory,  and  then  mouths  it 
out  in  a  stiff  and  formal  way.  And  so  when  he  goes  to  col- 
lege, and  to  the  seminary,  instead  of  being  trained  to  extern- 
pore  speaking,  he  is  set  to  writing  his  piece,  and  commit 
it  to  memory.  I  would  pursue  the  opposite  course  from  the 
beginning.  I  would  give  him  a  subject,  and  let  him  first 
thinkj  and  then  speak  his  thoughts.  Perhaps  he  will  make 
mistakes.  Very  well,  that  is  to  be  expected — in  a  beginner. 
But  he  will  learn.  Suppose  he  is  not  eloquent,  at  first.  Very- 
well,  he  can  improve.  And  he  is  in  the  very  way  to  improva 
This  kind  of  training  alone  will  ever  raise  up  a  class  of  min- 
isters who  can  convert  the  world. 

But  it  is  objected  to  extemporaneous  preaching,  that  if 
ministers  do  not  write^  they  will  not  think.  This  objection 
wiU  have  weight  with  those  men  whose  habit  has  always  been 
to  write  down  their  thoughts.  But  to  a  man  of  a  different 
habit,  it  will  have  no  weight  at  alL  Writing  is  not  thinking. 
And  if  I  should  judge  from  many  of  the  written  sei> 
mons  I  have  heard  preached,  the  makers  of  them  had 
been  doing  anything  rather  than  t  J  linking.  The  mechanical 
labor  of  writing  is  reaUy  a  hinderance  to  close  and  rapid 
thought.  It  is  true  that  some  extempore  preachers  have  not 
been  men  of  thought.  And  so  it  is  true  that  many  men  who 
write  sermons,  are  not  men  of  thought.  A  man  whose  habits 
have  always  been  such,  that  he  has  thought  only  when  he  has 
put  his  mind  on  the  end  of  his  pen,  will  of  course,  if  he  lays 
aside  his  pen,  at  first  find  it  difficult  to  think ;  and  if  he 
attempts  to  preach  without  writing,  will,  until  his  habits  are 
thoroughly  changed,  find  it  difficult  to  throw  into  his  sermons 
the  same  amount  of  thought,  as  if  he  conformed  to  his  old 
batats  of  writing.     But  it  should  be  remembered  that  this  it 


HOW   TO    PREACH    THE    GOSPIL.  «0Y 

only  on  account  of  his  having  been  trained  to  write,  and  hav- 
ing always  habituated  himself  to  it  It  is  the  training  and 
habit  that  renders  it  so  difficult  for  him  to  think  without 
writing.  Will  any  body  pretend  to  say  that  lawyers  are  not 
men  of  thought  ?  That  their  arguments  before  a  court  and  jury, 
are  not  profound  and  well  digested  ?  And  yet  evei7  one  knows 
that  they  do  not  write  their  speeches.  It  should  be  undei^ 
stood,  too,  that  in  college,  they  have  the  same  training  with 
ministei-s,  and  have  the  same  disadvantage  of  having  been 
trained  to  write  their  thoughts  ;  and  it  is  only  after  they  en- 
ter upon  their  profession,  that  they  change  their  habit  Were 
they  educated,  as  they  should  be,  to  extempore  habits  in  the 
sciools,  they  would  be  vastly  more  eloquent  and  powerful  in 
argument  than  they  are. 

I  have  heard  much  of  this  objection  to  extempore  preach- 
ing ever  since  I  entered  the  ministry.  It  was  often  said  to 
me  then,  in  answer  to  my  views  of  extempore  preaching,  that 
ministers  who  preached  extemporaneously,  would  not  in$truci 
the  churches,  tiiat  there  would  be  a  great  deal  of  sameness  in 
their  preaching,  and  they  would  soon  become  insipid  and 
repetitious  for  want  of  thought  But  every  year's  experience 
has  ripened  the  conviction  on  my  mind,  that  the  reverse  of 
this  objection  is  trua  The  man  who  writes  least  may,  if  he 
pleases,  thi7ik  most^  and  will  say  what  he  does  think  in  a  man- 
ner that  will  be  better  understood  than  if  it  were  vmtten  ; 
and  that,  just  in  the  proportion  that  he  lays  aside  the  labor 
of  writing,  his  body  will  be  left  free  to  exercise,  and  his  mind 
to  vigorous  and  consecutive  thought. 

The  great  reason  why  it  is  supposed  that  extempore  preach- 
ers more  frequently  repeat  the  same  thoughts  in  their  preach- 
ing, is  because  what  tiiey  say  is,  in  a  general  way,  more  per- 
fectly remembered  by  the  congregation,  than  if  it  had  been 
read.  I  have  often  known  preachers,  who  could  repeat  their 
written  sermons  once  in  a  few  months,  without  its  being  re- 
cognised by  the  congregation.  But  the  manner  in  which  ex 
tempore  sermons  are  generally  dehvered  is  so  much  more 
impressive,  that  the  thoughts  cannot  in  general  be  soon  re- 
peated, without  being  remembered-  We  shall  never  have  a 
set  of  men  in  our  haJls  of  legislation,  in  our  courts  of  justice, 
and  in  our  pulpits,  that  are  powerful  and  overwhelming 
speakers,  and  can  carry  the  world  before  them,  tiU  our  sys- 
tem of  education  teaches  them  to  think,  closely,  rapidly,  con- 
secutively, and  till  all  their  habits  of  speaking  in  the  schools 
are  extemporaneous.  The  very  style  of  communicating 
thought,  in  what  is  commonly  called  a  gfood  style  of  writing 


208  HOW   TO    PREACH    THE    OOSPBI.. 

18  not  calculated  to  leave  a  deep  impression  on  the  mind,  of 
to  communicate  thought  in  a  clear  and  impressive  manner. 
It  is  not  laconic,  dii-ect,  pertinent.  It  is  not  the  language  of 
nature.  It  is  impossible  that  gestures  should  be  fiuiied  to  the 
common  style  of  writing.  And  consequently,  when  they  at- 
tempt to  gesture  in  reading  an  essay,  or  delivering  a  written 
sermon,  their  gestures  are  a  burlesque  upon  all  public  speak- 
mg. 

In  delivering  a  sermon  in  this  essay  style  of  writing,  it  is 
impossible  that  nearly  all  the  fire  of  meaning  and  power  of 
gesture,  and  looks,  and  attitude,  and  emphasis  should  not  be 
lost  We  can  never  have  the  full  meaning  of  the  Gospel,  till 
we  throw  away  our  notes. 

3.  A  minister's  course  of  study  and  training  for  his  work 
should  be  exclusively  theological. 

I  mean  just  as  I  say.  I  am  not  now  going  to  discuss  the 
question  whether  all  education  ought  not  to  be  theological. 
But  I  say  education  for  the  ministry  should  be  exclusively  so. 
But  you  will  ask,  Should  not  a  minister  understand  science  ? 
1"  would  answer,  Yes,  the  more  the  better.  I  would  that 
ministers  might  understand  all  sdenca  But  it  should  all  be 
in  connection  with  theology.  Studying  science  is  studying 
the  works  of  God.     And  studying  theology  is  studying  God. 

Let  a  scholar  be  asked,  for  instance,  this  question  :  "Is 
there  a  God  ?"  To  answer  it,  let  him  ransack  the  universe, 
let  him  go  out  into  every  department  of  science,  to  find  the 
proofs  of  design,  and  in  this  way  to  learn  the  existence  of 
God.  Let  him  next  inquire  how  many  gods  there  are,  and 
let  him  again  ransack  creation  to  see  whether  there  is  such  a 
unity  of  design  as  evinces  that  there  is  one  God.  In  hke 
manner,  let  him  inquire  concerning  the  attributes  of  God, 
and  his  character.  He  will  learn  science  here,  but  wiU  learn 
itas  a  part  of  theology.  Let  him  search  every  field  of 
tnowledge,  to  bring  forward  his  proofs.  What  was  the  de- 
sign of  this  plan  ?  What  was  the  end  of  that  arrangement  ? 
See  whether  everything  you  find  in  the  universe  is  not  calcu- 
lated to  produce  happiness,  unless  perverted. 

Would  the  student's  heart  get  hard  and  cold  in  study,  aa 
cold  and  hard  as  the  college  walls,  if  science  was  pursued  ia 
this  way  ?  Every  lesson  brings  him  right  up  before  G^d,  and 
is  in  fact  communion  with  God,  and  warms  his  heart,  and 
makes  him  more  pious,  more  solemn,  more  holy.  The  very 
distinction  between  classical  and  theological  study  is  a  curse 
to  the  church,  and  a  curse  to  the  world.  The  student  spends 
kmx  years  in  college  at  classical  studies,  and  no  God  in  them. 


HOW   TO    PREACH    THE    GORPEL.  200 

«nd  then  three  years  in  the  seminary,  at  theological  studies  ; 
and  what  then  ?  Poor  young  man.  Set  him  to  work,  and 
yon  will  find  that  he  is  not  educated  for  the  minv^ry  at  alL 
The  church  groans  under  his  preaching,  because  he  does  not 
preach  with  unction,  nor  with  power.  He  has  been  spoiled 
in  training. 

4.  We  learn  what  is  revival  preaching.  All  ministers  should 
be  revival  ministers,  and  all  preaching  should  be  revival 
preaching  ;  that  is,  it  should  be  calculated  to  promote  holinesa 
People  say,  "  It  is  very  well  to  have  some  men  in  the  church, 
who  are  revival  preachers,  and  who  can  go  about  and  promote 
revivals  ;  but  then  you  must  have  others  to  indoctrinate  the 
church."  Strange !  Do  they  not  know  that  a  revival  indoo- 
triiiates  the  church  faster  than  anything  else  ?  And  a  minis- 
ter wiU  never  produce  a  revival,  if  he  does  not  indoctrinate 
his  hearers.  The  preaching  I  have  described,  is  fuQ  of  doc- 
trine, but  it  is  doctrine  to  be  joractised.  And  that  is  revival 
preaching. 

5.  There  are  tico  objections  sometimes  brought  against  the 
kind  of  preaching  which  I  have  recommended. 

(1.)  That  it  is  letting  down  the  dignity  of  the  pulpit  to  preach 
in  this  colloquial,  lawyer-like  style.  They  are  shocked  at  it 
But  it  is  only  on  accoimt  of  its  novelty,  and  not  for  any  im- 
propriety there  is  in  the  thing  itself.  I  heard  a  remark  made 
by  a  leading  layman  in  the  centre  of  this  State,  in  regard  to 
the  preaching  of  a  certain  minister.  He  said  it  was  the  first 
preaching  he  ever  heard,  that  he  understood,  and  the  first 
minister  he  ever  heard  that  spoke  as  if  he  believed  his  own 
doctrine,  or  meant  what  he  said.  And  when  he  first  heard 
him  preach  as  if  he  was  saying  something  that  he  meant,  he 
thought  he  was  crazy.  But  eventually,  he  was  made  to  see 
that  it  was  aU  true,  and  he  submitted  to  the  truth,  as  the 
power  of  God  for  the  salvation  of  his  souL 

What  is  the  dignity  of  the  pulpit  ?  To  see  a  minister  gd 
into  the  pulpit  to  sustain  its  dignily  I  Alas,  alas  I  During  my 
foreign  tour,  I  heard  an  EngHsn  missionary  preach  exactiy  in 
that  way.  I  beheve  he  was  a  good  man,  and  out  of  the  pul- 
pit he  would  talk  Kke  a  man  that  meant  what  he  said.  But 
no  sooner  was  he  in  the  pulpit,  than  he  appeared  hke  a  per- 
fect automaton — swelHng,  mouthing,  and  singing,  enough  to 
put  all  the  people  to  sleep.  And  the  difficulty  seemed  to  be, 
that  he  wanted  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  the  pulpii, 

(2.)  It  is  objected  that  this  preaching  is  theatrical.  The 
bishop  of  London  once  asked  Garrick,  the  celebrated  play- 
actor, why  it  was  that  actors  in  representing  a  mere  fictian» 


210  HOW    TO    PBEACH    PHE    «OSPKL. 

should  move  an  assembly,  even  to  tears,  while  ministers,  in 
representing  the  most  solemn  realities,  could  scarcely  obtain 
a  hearing.  The  piiilosophical  Garrick  well  replied,  "  It  is  be- 
cause we  represent  fiction  as  reahty,  and  you  represent  reality 
as  a  fiction."  This  is  telling  the  whole  story.  Now  what  is 
the  design  of  the  actor  in  a  theatrical  representation  ?  It  is 
so  to  throw  himself  into  the  spirit  and  meaning  of  the  writer, 
as  to  adopt  his  sentiments,  make  them  his  own,  feel  them, 
embody  them,  throw  them  out  upon  the  audience  as  Hving 
reahty.  And  now,  what  is  the  objection  to  all  this  in  preach- 
ing ?  The  actor  suits  the  action  to  the  word,  and  the  word 
to  the  action.  His  looks,  his  hands,  his  attitudes,  and  every- 
thing are  designed  to  express  the  full  meaning  of  the  writer. 
Now  this  should  be  the  aim  of  the  preacher.  And  if  by 
■*  theatrical"  be  meant  the  strongest  possible  representation  of 
ihe  sentiments  expressed,  then  the  more  theatrical  a  sermon 
is,  the  better.  And  if  ministers  are  too  stifi^  and  the  people 
too  fastidious,  to  learn  even  from  an  actor,  or  from  the  stage, 
the  best  method  of  swaying  mind,  of  enforcing  sentiment, 
and  diffusing  the  warmth  of  burning  thought  over  a  congre* 
gation,  then  they  must  go  on  with  their  prosing,  and  reading, 
and  sanctimonious  starch.  But  let  them  remember,  that 
while  they  are  thus  turning  away  and  decrying  the  art  of  the 
actor,  and  attempting  to  support  "the  dignity  of  the  pulpit," 
the  theatres  can  be  thronged  every  night.  The  common-sense 
people  xoill  he  entertained  with  that  manner  of  speaking,  and 
sinners  will  go  down  to  heU. 

6.  A  congregation  may  learn  how  to  choose  a  minister. 

When  a  vacant  church  are  looking  out  for  a  minister,  there 
are  two  leading  points  on  which  they  commonly  fix  their  atten- 
tion. (1.)  That  he  should  be  popular.  (2.)  That  he  should 
be  learned.  That  is  very  welL  But  this  point  should  be  the 
fii'st  in  their  inquiries — "  Is  he  wise  to  win  souls  ?  "  No  matter 
how  eloquent  a  minister  is,  or  how  learned.  No  matter  how 
pleasing  and  popular  in  his  manners.  If  it  is  a  matter  of  fact 
that  sinners  are  not  converted  under  his  preaching,  it  shows 
that  he  has  not  this  wisdom,  and  your  children  and  neighbors 
will  go  down  to  heU  under  his  preaching. 

I  am  happy  to  know  that  many  churc^ies  will  ask  this  ques- 
tion about  ministers.  And  if  they  find  that  a  minister  is  des- 
titute of  this  vital  quality,  they  will  not  have  him.  And  if 
ministers  can  be  foimd  who  are  wise  to  win  souls,  the  churches 
will  have  such  ministers.  It  is  in  vain  to  contend  against  it, 
or  to  pretend  that  they  are  not  well  educated,  or  not  learned, 
or  the  like.     It  is  in  vain  for  the  schools  to  try  to  force  down 


HOW   TO   PBSAOB   THB    QOBTISL.  til 

the  throats  of  the  churches  a  race  of  ministers  who  are  learned 
in  everything  but  what  they  most  need  to  know.  The  churches 
have  pronounced  them  not  made  right,  and  they  wiU  not  sus- 
tain that  which  is  notoriously  so  inadequate  as  the  present 
system  of  theological  edvication. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  say  what  needs  to  be  said  on  this  sub- 
ject, without  being  in  danger  of  begetting  a  wi-ong  spirit  in 
the  church,  towards  ministers.  Many  professors  of  rehgion 
are  ready  to  find  fault  with  ministers  when  they  have  no  rear 
son  ;  insomuch,  that  it  becomes  very  difficult  to  say  of  min- 
isters what  is  true,  and  what  needs  to  be  said,  without  its 
being  perverted  and  abused  by  this  class  of  professors.  I 
would  not  for  the  world  say  anything  to  injure  the  influence 
of  a  minister  of  Christ,  who  is  really  endeavoring  to  do  good 
I  would  that  they  deserv^ed  a  hundred  times  more  influence 
than  they  now  deserve  or  hava  But,  to  tell  the  truth  will  not 
injure  the  influence  of  those  ministers,  who  by  their  hves  and 
preaching  give  evidence  to  the  church,  that  their  object  is  to 
do  good,  and  wia  souls  to  CJhrist.  This  class  of  ministers  will 
recognise  the  truth  of  all  that  I  have  said,  or  wish  to  say. 
They  see  it  all,  and  deplore  it  But  if  there  be  ministers  who 
ai*e  doing  no  good,  who  are  feediug  themselves  and  not  the 
flock,  such  ministers  deserve  no  influence.  If  they  are  doiag 
no  good,  it  is  time  for  them  to  betake  themselves  to  some 
other  profession.  They  are  but  leeches  on  the  very  vitals  of 
the  church,  sucking  out  its  heart's  blood.  They  are  useless, 
and  worse  than  useless.  And  the  sooner  they  are  laid  aside, 
and  their  places  filled  with  those  who  will  exert  themselves  for 
Christ  the  better. 

Finally — It  is  the  duty  of  the  church  to  pray  for  ns,  min- 
istera  Not  one  of  us  is  such  as  we  ought  to  be.  Like  Paul, 
we  can  say,  "  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?  "  But  who 
of  us  is  Hke  Paul  ?  Where  wifl  you  find  such  a  minister  as 
Paul  ?  They  are  not  hera  We  have  been  wrongly  educated, 
all  of  us.  Pray  for  the  schools,  and  colleges,  and  seminaries. 
And  pray  for  young  men  who  are  preparing  for  the  ministi-y. 
Pray  for  ministers,  that  God  would  give  them  this  wisdom  to 
win  souls.  And  pray  that  God  would  bestow  upon  the  church 
the  wisdom  and  the  means  to  educate  a  generation  of  minis- 
ters who  wiU  go  forward  and  convert  tlie  world.  The  church 
must  travail  in  prayer,  and  groan  and  agonize  for  this.  This 
is  now  the  pearl  of  price  to  the  chui'ch,  to  have  a  supply  of 
the  riffht  sort  of  ministers.  The  coming  of  the  millennium  de* 
pends  on  having  a  different  sort  of  ministers,  who  are  more 
thoroughly  educated  for  their  work.    And  this  we  shall  have  so 


tlS  HCrW    TO    PRBAOn    THE    GOSPEL. 

Bure  as  the  promise  of  the  Lord  holds  good.  Such  a  mint* 
try  as  is  now  in  the  church  will  never  convert  the  world.  Bui 
the  world  is  to  he  converted,  and  therefore  God  intends  to 
have  ministers  who  will  do  it.  "  Pray  ye,  therefore,  the  Lord 
of  the  harvest  that  he  would  send  forth  laborers  into  his 
harvesl" 


LECTURE  TTTT. 


HOW   OHXJEOHES    CAN    HELP   MINISTEE8. 

Tbzt.  —And  it  came  to  pags,  when  Mosee  held  ap  hia  hand,  that  Isr&el  prer&jled 
«nd  when  he  let  down  his  hand,  Amalek  prevailed.  But  Moses's  hands  were  heavy  . 
«nd  thej  took  a  stone,  and  put  it  under  him,  and  he  eat  thereon :  and  Aaron  and 
Hur  stayed  op  his  hands,  the  one  on  the  one  side  and  the  other  on  the  other  side ; 
and  his  hands  were  steady  until  the  going  down  of  the  sun.  And  Joshua  discom- 
fited Amalek  and  his  people  with  the  edge  of  the  sword.— Exodus  xvii.  11-13. 

You  who  read  your  Bibles  will  recollect  the  connection  in 
which  these  verses  stand  The  people  of  God  in  subduing 
their  enemies  came  to  battle  against  the  Amalekites,  and 
these  incidents  took  placa  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  why  im- 
portance should  be  attached  to  the  circumstance  of  Moses 
holding  up  his  hands,  unless  the  expression  is  understood 
to  denote  the  attitude  of  prayer.  And  then  his  holding  up 
his  hands,  and  the  success  attending  it,  will  teach  us  the  im 
portance  of  prayer  to  God,  for  his  aid  in  all  our  conflicts 
with  the  enemies  of  God.  The  cooperation  and  support  of 
Aaron  and  Hur  have  been  generaUy  understood  to  represent 
the  duty  of  chui'ches  to  sustain  and  assist  ministers  in  their 
work,  and  the  importance  of  this  co-operation  to  the  success 
of  the  preached  Gos|>el.  I  shall  make  this  use  of  it  on  the 
present  occasion.  As  I  have  spoken  of  the  duty  of  ministers 
to  labor  for  revivals,  I  shall  now  consider, 

THE  IMPOETANCE   OF   THE   00<>PERATION   OF  THE   CHUECH   Di 
PRODUCINQ   AND    CAREYINa   ON   A    REVFV^AL. 

There  are  a  number  of  things  whose  importance  in  promot- 
ing a  revival  has  not  been  duly  considered  by  chui'ches  and 
ministers,  which  if  not  attended  to  wiU  make  it  impossible 
that  revivals  should  extend,  or  even  continue  for  any  consid- 
erable time.  In  my  last  two  lectures,  I  have  been  dwelling 
on  the  duties  of  ministers,  as  it  was  impossible  for  me  to 
preach  a  course  of  lectures  on  revivals  without  enteiing  more 
or  less  extensively  into  tiiat  department  of  means.  I  have 
not  done  with  that  part  of  the  subject,  but  have  thought  it 
important  here  to  step  aside  and  discuss  some  points  iu 
which  the  church  must  stand  by  and  aid  their  minister,  if 

(213) 


214  HOW   CHURCHES   CAN   HELP   MLNISTBWI. 

they  expect  to  enjoy  a  revival    In  discufising  the  subject,  I 

propose, 

L  To  mention  several  things  which  Christians  must  avoids 
if  they  would  support  ministers. 

n.  Some  things  to  which  they  must  attend. 

L  I  am  to  mention  several  things  that  must  be  avoided- 

L  By  all  means  keep  clear  of  the  idea,  both  in  theory  and 
practice,  that  a  minister  is  to  promote  revivals  alone.  Many 
people  are  inclined  to  take  a  passive  attitude  on  this  subject, 
and  feel  as  if  they  had  nothing  to  do.  They  have  employed 
a  minister  and  paid  him,  to  feed  them  with  instruction  and 
comfort,  and  now  they  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  sit  and 
swallow  the  food  he  gives.  They  are  to  pay  his  salaiy,  and 
attend  on  his  preaching,  and  they  think  that  is  doing  a  great 
deal.  And  he  on  his  part  is  expected  to  preach  good,  sound, 
comfortable  doctrine,  to  bolster  them  up,  and  make  them  feel 
comfortable,  and  so  they  expect  to  go  to  heaven.  I  tell  you, 
THEY  WILL  GO  TO  HELL,  if  this  is  their  rehgion. 
That  is  not  the  way  to  heaven. 

Rest  assured  that  where  this  spirit  prevails  in  the  church, 
however  good  the  minister  may  be,  the  church  have  taken 
the  course  to  prevent  a  revival.  If  he  is  ever  so  faithful, 
ever  so  much  engaged,  ever  so  talented  and  eloquent,  he 
may  wear  himself  out,  and  perhaps  destroy  his  life,  but  he 
wiU  have  httle  or  no  revival. 

Where  there  is  no  church,  or  very  few  members  in  the 
church,  a  revival  may  be  promoted  without  any  organized 
effort  of  the  church,  because  it  is  not  there,  and  in  such  a 
case,  God  accommodates  his  grace  to  the  circtmistances,  as 
he  did  when  the  apostles  went  out,  single-handed,  to  plant 
the  Gospel  in  the  world.  I  have  seen  instances  of  powerful 
revivals  where  such  was  the  case.  But  where  there  are  means, 
God  will  have  them  used.  I  had  rather  have  no  church  in  a 
place,  than  attempt  to  promote  a  revival  in  a  place  where 
there  is  a  church  which  will  not  work.  God  wiU  be  inquired 
of  by  his  people  to  bestow  blessings.  The  counteracting  in- 
fluence of  a  church  that  will  not  work  is  worse  than  infidehty. 
There  is  no  possibihty  of  occupying  neutral  ground,  in  re- 
gard to  a  revival,  though  some  professors  imagine  they  are 
neutral.  If  a  professor  wiU  not  lay  himself  out  in  the  work, 
he  opposes  it.  Let  such  a  one  attempt  to  take  middle  ground^ 
and  say  he  is  going  to  wait  and  see  how  they  come  out — 
why,  that  is  the  very  ground  the  devil  wants  Mm  to 
take.  Professors  can  in  this  way  do  his  work  a  great  deal 
more  efectuolly  than  by  open  opposition.     If  they  take 


BOW    CHUBCHK8    CAN    HKLP    MINISTBBfl.  tli 

open  ground  in  opposition,  everybody  will  say  they  have  no 
religion.  But  by  this  middle  course  they  retain  their  influ- 
ence, and  thus  do  the  devil's  work  more  effectually. 

In  emplo^ong  a  minister,  a  church  must  remember  that 
they  have  only  employed  a  leader  to  lead  them  on  to  action 
in  the  cause  of  Chnst.  People  would  think  it  strange  if  any- 
body should  propose  to  support  a  general  and  then  let  him 
go  and  fight  alone  I  This  is  no  more  absurd,  or  destructive, 
than  for  a  minister  to  attempt  to  go  forward  alone.  The 
church  misconceive  the  design  of  the  ministi-y,  if  they  leave 
their  minister  to  work  alone.  It  is  not  enough  that  they 
should  hear  the  sermons.  That  is  only  the  word  of  com- 
mand, which  the  church  are  bound  to  follow. 

2.  Do  not  complain  of  your  minister  because  there  is  no  re- 
vival, if  you  are  not  doing  your  duty.  It  is  of  no  use  to  com- 
plain of  there  being  no  revival,  if  you  are  not  doing  your 
duty.  That  alone  is  a  sufficient  reason  why  there  should  be 
no  revival.  It  is  a  most  cruel  and  abominable  thing  for  a 
church  to  complain  of  their  minister,  when  they  themselves 
are  fast  asleep.  It  is  very  common  for  professors  of  religion 
to  take  great  credit  to  themselves,  and  quiet  their  own  con- 
sciences by  complaining  of  their  ministers.  And  when  the 
importance  of  ministers  being  awake  is  spoken  of,  this  sort 
of  people  are  ready  to  say,  We  never  shall  have  a  revival 
witii  such  a  minister,  when  the  fact  is  that  their  minister  is 
much  more  awake  than  they  are  themselves. 

Another  thing  is  true  m  regard  to  this  point,  and  worthy 
of  notica  When  the  church  is  sunk  down  ia  a  low  state, 
professors  of  rehgion  are  very  apt  to  complain  of  the  churchy 
and  of  the  low  state  of  religion  among  them.  That  intan- 
gible and  irresponsible  being,  the  "  church,"  is  greatly  com- 
plained of  by  them,  for  being  asleep.  Their  complaints  of 
the  low  state  of  religion,  and  of  the  coldness  of  the  church  or 
of  the  minister,  are  poured  out  dolefully,  without  their  seeming 
to  realize  that  the  church  is  composed  of  individuals,  and  that 
until  each  one  will  take  his  own  case  in  hand,  complain  of 
himself,  and  humble  hinaself  before  God,  and  re^^ent,  and 
wake  up,  the  church  can  never  have  any  efficiency,  and  there 
never  can  be  a  revival  If  instead  of  complaining  of  your 
minister,  or  of  the  chui-ch,  you  would  wake  up  as  individuals, 
and  not  complain  of  him  or  them  until  you  can  say  you  are 
pure  from  the  blood  of  all  men,  and  are  doing  your  duty  to 
save  sinners,  he  would  be  apt  to  feel  the  justice  of  your  com- 
plaints, and  if  he  would  not,  God  would,  and  would  either 
wake  him  up  or  remove  him. 


tl6  HOW   OHITBCHES   OUT   HELP    MINISTERA. 

3.  Do  not  let  your  minister  kill  himself  by  attempting  to 
crrrry  on  the  work  alone,  wliile  you  refuse  to  help  him.  It  some* 
times  happens  that  a  minister  finds  the  ark  of  the  Lord  will  not 
move  miless  he  lays  out  his  utmost  strength,  and  he  has  been 
80  desirous  of  a  revival  that  he  has  done  this,  and  has  died. 
And  he  was  willing  to  die  for  it.  I  could  mention  some  cases 
LQ  this  State,  where  ministers  have  died,  and  no  doubt  in  con- 
sequence of  their  labors  to  promote  a  revival  where  the  church 
hmig  back  from  the  work 

I  will  mention  one  case.  A  minister,  some  years  since,  was 
laboring  where  there  was  a  revival ;  and  was  visited  by  an  el- 
der of  a  church  at  some  distance  who  wanted  him  to  go  and 
preach  there.  There  was  no  revival  there,  and  never  had 
been,  and  the  elder  complained  about  their  state,  said  they 
had  had  two  excellent  ministers,  one  had  worn  himself  com- 
pletely out  and  died,  and  the  other  had  exhausted  himself,  and 
got  discouraged,  and  left  them,  and  they  were  a  poor  and  fee- 
ble chui'ch,  and  their  prospects  very  dark  unless  they  could 
have  a  revival,  and  so  he  begged  this  minister  to  go  and  help 
them.  He  seemed  to  be  very  sorrowful,  and  the  minister 
heard  his  wliinmg,  and  at  last  repUed  by  askiug.  Why  did 
you  never  have  a  revival  ?  I  don't  know  said  the  elder.  Our 
minister  labored  hard,  but  the  chm'ch  did  not  seem  to  wake 
up,  and  somehow  there  seemed  to  be  no  revival  "Well, 
now,"  said  the  minister,  "I  see  what  you  want ;  you  have  kill- 
ed one  of  God's  ministers,  and  broken  down  another  so  that 
he  had  to  leave  you,  and  now  you  want  to  get  another  there 
and  kill  him,  and  the  devil  has  sent  you  here  to  get  me  to  go 
and  rock  your  cradle  for  you.  You  had  one  good  minister  to 
preach  to  you,  but  you  slept  on,  and  he  exerted  himself  till  he 
absolutely  died  ui  the  work.  Then  the  Lord  let  you  have  an- 
other, and  still  you  lay  and  slept,  and  would  not  wake  up  to 
your  duty.  And  now  you  have  come  here  ia  despair,  and  want 
another  minister,  do  you  ?  God  forbid  that  you  should  ever 
have  another  while  you  do  as  you  have  done.  God  forbid  that 
fou  should  ever  have  a  miuister,  till  the  church  will  wake  up 
k)  duty."  The  elder  was  affected,  for  he  was  a  good  man.  The 
tears  came  in  his  eyes,  and  he  said  it  was  no  more  than  they 
deserved.  "And  now,"  said  the  minister,  "  will  you  be  faithful, 
and  go  home  and  tell  the  church  what  I  say  ?  If  you  will,  and 
they  will  be  faitliful  and  wake  up  to  duty,  they  shall  have  a 
minister,  I  will  wan-ant  them  that."  The  elder  said  he  would, 
and  he  was  true  to  his  word  ;  he  went  home  and  told  the 
church  how  cruel  it  was  for  them  to  ask  another  minister  to 
come  among  them,  unless  they  would  wake  up.     They  felt  it 


HOW   CUUBCHES   CAN    HELP    MLNTISTBBS.  tit 

and  confessed  their  sins,  and  waked  up  to  duty,  and  a  minister 
was  sent  to  them,  and  a  precious  and  powerful  revival  followed. 

Churches  do  not  realize  how  often  their  coldness  and  back- 
wardness may  be  absolutely  the  cause  of  the  death  of  ministers. 
The  state  of  the  people,  and  of  sinners,  rests  upon  their 
mind,  they  travail  in  soul  night  and  day,  and  they  labor  in 
season  and  out  of  season,  beyond  the  power  of  the  human 
constitution  to  bear,  till  they  wear  out  and  die.  The  church 
know  not  the  agony  of  a  minister's  heart,  when  he  travails 
for  souls,  and  labors  to  wake  up  the  church  to  help,  and  still 
sees  them  in  the  slumbers  of  death.  Perhaps  sometimes  they 
will  rouse  up  to  spasmodic  effort  for  a  few  days,  and  then  all 
is  cold  again.  And  so  many  a  faithful  minister  wears  himself 
out  and  dies,  and  then  these  heartless  professors  are  the  first 
to  blame  him  for  doing  so  miich. 

I  recollect  a  case  of  a  good  minister,  who  went  to  a  place 
where  there  was  a  revival,  and  while  there  heard  a  pointed 
sermon  to  ministers.  He  received  it  hke  a  man  of  God  ; 
he  did  not  rebel  against  God's  truth,  but  he  vowed  to  God 
that  he  never  would  rest  until  he  saw  a  revival  among  his 
people.  He  returned  home  and  went  to  work ;  the  church 
would  not  wake  up,  except  a  few  members,  and  the  Lord 
blessed  them,  and  poui'ed  out  his  Spirit,  but  the  minister 
hid  himself  down  on  his  bed  and  died,  in  the  midst  of  the 
revival 

4.  Be  careful  not  to  complain  of  plain,  pointed  preaching, 
even  when  its  reproofs  fasten  on  yourselves.  Churches  are  apt 
to  forget  that  a  minister  is  responsible  only  to  God  They 
want  to  make  rules  for  a  minister  to  preach  by,  so  as  not  to 
have  it^^  them.  If  he  beai's  down  on  the  church,  and  ex- 
poses the  sins  that  prevail  among  them,  they  call  it  personal, 
and  rebel  against  the  truth-  Or  they  say,  he  should  not 
preach  so  plainly  to  the  church  before  the  world ;  it  exposes 
rehgion,  i,hey  say,  and  he  ought  to  take  th-em  by  themselves 
and  preach  to  the  church  alone,  and  not  tell  sinners  how  bad 
Christians  are.  But  there  are  cases  where  a  minister  can  do 
no  less  than  to  show  the  house  of  Jacob  their  sins.  If  you 
ask.  Why  not  do  it  when  we  are  by  ourselves  ?  I  answer,  Just 
as  if  sinners  did  not  know  you  did  wrong.  I  wiU  preach  to 
you  by  yourselves,  about  your  own  sins,  when  you  will  get  to- 
gether by  yourselves  to  sin.  But  as  the  Lord  liveth,  if  you 
Bin  before  the  world,  you  shall  be  rebuked  before  the  world. 
Is  it  not  a  fact  that  sinners  do  know  how  you  hve,  and  that 
they  stumble  over  you  into  hell  ?  Then  do  not  blame  min 
iisters,  when   they  see  it  their  duty  to  rebuke  the   churob 


218  HOW   CHTTROHES    CAN    HELP    MINT8TKES, 

openly  before  the  world  If  you  are  so  proud  you  cannol 
bear  this,  you  need  not  expect  a  revival.  Do  not  call  preach- 
ing too  plain  because  it  exposes  the  faults  of  the  church. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  preaching  too  plain. 

5.  Sometimes  professors  talve  alarm,  lest  the  minister 
should  offend  the  ungodly  by  plain  preaching.  And  they  will 
begin  to  caution  him  against  it,  and  ask  hun  if  he  had  not 
better  alter  a  little  to  avoid  giving  offence,  and  the  hke.  This 
fear  is  excited  especially  if  some  of  the  more  wealthy  and  in- 
fluential members  of  the  congregation  are  offended,  lest  they 
should  withdraw  their  support  from  the  church,  and  no 
longer  give  their  money  to  help  to  pay  the  minister's  salary, 
and  so  the  burden  will  come  the  heavier  on  the  churdL 
They  never  can  have  a  revival  in  such  a  church.  Why,  the 
church  ought  to  pray,  above  aU  things,  that  the  truth  may 
come  on  the  ungodly  like  fire.  What  if  they  are  offended  \ 
Christ  can  get  along  very  well  without  their  money.  Do 
not  blame  your, minister,  nor  ask  him  to  change  his  mode 
of  preaching  to  please  and  conciliate  the  ungodly.  It  is  of 
no  use  for  a  minister  to  preach  to  the  impenitent,  unless  h^ 
can  preach  the  truth  to  them.  And  it  will  do  no  good  for 
them  to  pay  for  the  support  of  the  Gospel,  \  «nless  it  is 
preached  in  such  a  way  that  they  may  be  se-irched  and 
Baved. 

Sometimes  church  members  wiU  talk  among  ihe^^selves 
about  the  minister's  imprudence,  and  create  a  panp<,  a)xd  get 
into  a  very  wrong  spirit,  because  the  wicked  are  c^spV-sased 
There  was  a  place  where  there  was  a  powerful  revival  and 
great  opposition.  The  church  were  alarmed,  for  fear  tnat  if 
the  minister  was  not  less  plain  and  pointed,  some  of  the  im- 
penitent would  go  and  join  some  other  congregation.  And 
one  of  the  leading  men  in  title  church  was  appointed  to  go  to 
the  minister  and  ask  him  not  to  preach  quite  so  hard,  for  if 
he  continued  to  do  so,  such  and  such  persons  would  leave  the 
congregation.  The  minister  asked,  Is  not  the  preaching 
true?  "Yea"  Does  not  God  bless  it?  "Yes."  Did  you 
ever  see  the  hke  of  this  work  before  in  this  place  ?  "  No,  I 
never  did."  "Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan,  the  devil  has 
sent  you  here  on  this  errand ;  you  see  God  is  blessing  the 
preaching,  the  work  is  going  on,  and  sinners  are  concerted 
every  day,  and  now  you  come  to  get  me  to  let  down  the  tone 
of  preaching,  so  as  to  ease  the  minds  of  the  ungodly."  T>ie 
man  felt  the  rebuke,  and  took  it  like  a  Christian  ;  he  saw  his 
error  and  submitted,  and  never  again  was  heard  to  find  i&vdi 
with  the  plainness  of  preachiog. 


HOW    OHtJECHBS    CAN    HELP    MUnSTERfi.  41  f 

In  another  town,  where  there  was  a  revival,  a  woman  who 

had  some  influence  (not  pious),  complained  very  much  about 
plain,  pointed,  personal  preaching,  as  she  called  it.  But  by 
and  by  she  herself  became  a  subject  of  the  work  After  this 
some  of  her  impenitent  friends  reminded  her  of  what  she 
used  to  say  a^^^ainst  the  preacher  for  "preaching  it  out  so 
hot"  She  now  said  her  views  were  altered,  and  she  did  not 
care  how  hot  the  truth  was  preached,  if  it  was  red  hot. 

6.  Do  not  take  part  with  the  wicked  in  any  way.  If  you  do 
it  at  all,  you  will  strengthen  their  hands.  If  the  wicked  ac- 
cuse the  minister  of  being  imprudent,  or  of  being  personal, 
and  if  the  church  members,  without  admitting  that  the  minis- 
ter does  so,  only  admit  that  personal  preaching  is  wrong, 
and  talk  about  the  impropriety  of  personal  preaching,  the 
wicked  will  feel  themselves  strengthened  by  such  remarks. 
Do  not  unite  with  them  at  all,  for  they  will  feel  that  they 
have  you  on  their  side  against  their  minister.  You  adopt 
their  principles,  and  use  tiieir  language,  and  are  understood  . 
as  sympathizing  with  them.  What  is  personal  preaching  ? 
No  individual  is  ever  benefited  by  pr^ching  unless  he  is 
made  to  feel  that  it  means  him.  Now  such  preaching  is  al-  ^ 
ways  personal  It  often  appears  so  personal,  to  wicked  men, 
that  they  feel  as  if  they  were  just  going  to  be  called  out 
by  name  before  the  congregation.  A  minister  was  once' 
preaching  to  a  congregation,  and  when  describing  certain 
characters,  he  said,  "  If  I  was  omniscient,  I  could  call  out 
by  name  the  very  persons  that  answer  to  this  picture."  A 
man  cried  out,  "  Name  me  1"  and  he  looked  as  if  he  was 
going  to  sink  into  the  earth.  He  afterwards  said  that  he  had 
no  idea  of  spealdng  out,  but  the  minister  described  him  so 
perfectly,  that  he  really  thought  he  was  going  to  call  him  by 
name.  The  minister  did  not  know  there  was  such  a  man  in 
the  world.  It  is  common  for  men  to  think  their  own  con- 
duct is  described,  and  they  complain,  "  Who  has  been  telling 
him  about  me?  Somebody  has  been  talking  to  him  about 
me,  and  getting  him  to  preach  at  me."  I  suppose  I  have 
heard  of  five  hundred  or  a  thousand  just  such  cases.  Now  if 
the  church  members  will  just  admit  that  it  is  wrong  for  a 
minister  to  mean  anybody  in  his  preaching,  how  can  he  do 
wiy  good-  If  you  are  not  willing  your  minister  should  mean 
anybody,  or  preach  to  anybody,  you  had  better  dismiss  him. 
Whom  must  he  preach  to,  if  not  to  the  persons,  the  individ- 
uals before  him  ?  And  how  can  he  preadi  to  them,  when  Jie 
does  not  mean  them  ? 

7.  If  you  wish  to  stand  by  yonr  minister  in  promoting  a 


tSO  HOW  CHUBCHBS   OAW   HKLP   MTiTTSTKB*. 

revival,  do  not  by  your  lives  contradict  his  preaching.  If  ha 
preaches  that  sinners  are  going  to  hell,  do  not  give  the  lie  to 
it,  and  smile  it  all  away,  by  your  levity  and  unconcern.  I 
have  heard  sinners  speak  of  the  effect  produced  on  their 
minds  by  levity  in  Chiistians,  after  a  solemn  and  searching 
discourse.  They  feel  solemn  and  tender,  and  begin  to  be 
alarmed  at  their  condition,  and  they  see  these  professors,  in- 
stead of  weeping  over  them,  all  hght  and  easy,  as  much  as  to 
say,  "  Do  not  be  afraid,  sinners,  it  is  not  so  bad,  after  aU  ; 
keep  cool  and  you  will  do  weU  ;  do  you  think  we  woiild  laugh 
and  joke  if  you  were  going  to  hell  so  fast  ?  We  should  not 
laugh  if  only  your  house  was  on  fire,  still  less  if  we  saw  you 
burning  in  it"  Of  what  use  is  it  for  a  minister  to  preach  to 
sinners  in  such  a  state  of  things  ? 

8.  Do  not  needlessly  take  up  the  time  of  your  minister. 
iSklinisters  often  lose  a  great  deal  of  time  by  individuals  call- 
ing on  them  to  talk,  when  they  have  nothing  of  importance 
to  talk  about,  and  no  particular  errand-  The  minister  of 
course  is  glad  to  see  his  fi'iends,  and  often  too  willing  to 
spend  time  in  conversation  with  his  people,  as  he  loves 
and  esteems  them.  Professors  of  rehgion  should  remember 
that  a  minister's  time  is  worth  more  than  gold,  for  it  can  be 
employed  in  that  which  gold  can  never  buy.  If  the  minister 
is  kept  from  his  knees,  or  from  his  Bible,  or  his  study,  that 
they  may  indulge  themselves  in  his  conversation,  they  do  a 
great  injuiy.  When  you  have  a  good  reason  for  it,  you  should 
never  be  backward  to  call  on  him,  and  even  take  up  all  the 
time  that  is  necessary.  But  if  you  have  nothing  in  particular 
to  say  that  is  important,  keep  away.  I  knew  a  man  in  one 
of  our  cities,  who  was  out  of  business,  and  he  used  to  take 
up  months  of  the  minister's  time.  He  would  come  to  his 
study,  and  sit  for  three  hours  at  a  time,  and  talk,  because  he 
had  nothing  else  to  do,  till  finally,  the  minist,er  had  to  rebuke 
him  plainly,  and  tell  him  how  much  sin  he  was  committing. 

9.  Be  sure  not  to  sanction  anything  that  is  calculated  to 
divert  pubhc  attention  from  the  subject  of  religion.  Often 
when  it  comes  the  time  of  year  to  work,  when  the  evenings 
are  long,  and  business  is  light,  and  the  very  time  to  make  an 
extra  effort,  at  this  moment,  somebody  in  the  church  wiU  give 
a  party^  and  invite  some  Christian  friends,  so  as  to  have  it  a 
religious  party.  And  then  some  other  family  must  do  the 
game,  to  return  the  compliment  Then  another  and  another, 
till  it  grows  into  an  organized  system  of  parties,  that  con- 
sume the  whole  winter.  Abominable  I  This  is  the  grand 
device  of  tLa  devil,  because  it  appears  so  innocent,  and  so 


HOW    CHURCHK8    CAJX    HELP    MINi-oTEBa.  Ml 

proper,  tx)  promote  good  feeling,  and  increase  the  acquaintance 
of  Christians  with  each  other.  Ajid  so,  instead  of  prayer 
meetings  they  will  have  these  parties. 

The  evils  of  these  parties  are  very  great.  They  are  often 
got  up  at  great  expense,  and  the  most  abominable  gluttony  is 

Eractised  in  them.  It  is  said  that  the  expense  is  from  one 
undred  to  two  thousand  dollars.  I  have  been  told  that  in 
some  instances,  professed  Cln-istians  have  given  great  parties, 
and  made  great  entertainments,  and  excused  their  ungodly 
prodigahty  in  the  use  of  Jesus  Ciu-ist's  money,  by  giving  whal 
was  left,  after  the  feast  was  ended,  to  the  poor  1  Thus  making 
it  a  xdiiue  to  feast  and  riot,  even  to  surfeiting,  on  the  bounties 
of  God's  providence,  under  pretence  of  benefiting  the  poor. 
This  is  the  same  in  principle,  with  a  splendid  ball  which  was 
given  some  years  since,  in  a  neighboring  city.  The  ball  was 
got  up  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  and  each  gentleman  was 
to  pay  a  certain  sum,  and  after  the  ball  was  ended,  whatever 
remained  of  the  funds  thus  raised,  was  to  be  given  to  the 
poor.  TiTily  this  is  strange  charity,  to  eat  and  drink  and 
dance,  and  when  they  have  rioted  and  feasted  until  they  can 
enjoy  it  no  longer,  they  deal  out  to  the  poor  the  crumbs  that 
have  fallen  fi'om  the  table.  I  do  not  see  why  such  a  ball  is 
not  (iuite  as  pious  as  such  Christian  parties.  The  evil  of 
balls  does  not  consist  simply  in  the  exercise  of  dancing,  but 
in  the  dissipation,  and  surfeiting,  and  temptations  connected 
w^.th  them. 

tut  it  is  said  they  are  Christian  parties,  and  that  they  are 
till,  or  nearly  all,  professors  of  religion  who  attend  them. 
And  furtheiTQore,  that  they  are  concluded,  often,  with 
prayer.  Now  I  regard  this  as  one  of  the  worst  features 
about  them  ;  that  after  the  waste  of  time  and  money,  the 
excess  in  eating  and  drinking,  the  vain  conversation,  and 
nameless  fooleriefi,  with  which  such  a  season  is  filled  up,  an 
attempt  should  be  made  to  sanctify  it,  and  palm  it  off  upon 
God,  by  con clu  ling  it  with  prayer.  Say  what  you  wHl,  it 
would  not  be  more  absm*d  or  incongruous,  or  impious,  to 
dose  a  ball,  or  a  theatre,  or  a  card  party  with  prayer. 

Has  it  come  to  this,  that  professors  of  religion,  professing 
to  desire  the  salvation  of  tlie  world,  when  such  calls  are 
made  upon  them,  from  the  foui*  winds  of  heaven,  to  send  the 
Gospel,  to  furnish  Bibles,  and  tracts,  and  missionaries,  to 
save  the  world  fi'om  death,  that  they  should  spend  hundreds 
of  dollars  in  an  evening,  and  then  go  to  the  monthly  concert 
Mid  pray  for  the  heathen  ! 

In  some  in£(tances»  I  have  been  told,  they  find  a  seJvo  for 


fSS  HOW    CHURCHES    CAN    HELP    MINT8TKBS. 

their  consciences,  in  the  fsict  that  their  minister  attends  theiz 
parties.  This,  of  course,  would  give  weight  to  such  an  exam- 
ple, and  if  one  professor  of  religion  made  a  party  and  invited 
their  minister,  others  must  do  the  same.  The  next  step  they 
take  may  be  for  each  to  give  a  ball,  and  appoint  their  mini* 
ter  a  manager  1  Why  not?  And  perhaps,  by  and  by,  he 
will  do  them  the  favor  to  play  the  fiddle.  In  my  estimation 
he  might  quite  as  weU  do  it,  as  to  go  and  conclude  such  a 
partv  with  prayer. 

I  have  heard  with  pain,  that  a  circle  of  parties,  I  know  not 
to  what  extent,  has  been  held  in  Eochestee — that  place  so 
highly  favored  of  the  Lord.  1  know  not  through  whose  influ- 
ence they  have  been  got  up,  or  by  what  particular  persons  they 
have  been  patronized  and  attended-  But  I  should  advise  any 
congregation  who  are  calculating  to  have  a  circle  of  parties, 
in  the  mean  time  to  dismiss  their  minister,  and  let  him  go 
and  preach  where  the  people  would  be  ready  to  receive  the 
word  and  profit  by  it,  and  not  have  him  stay  and  be  dis- 
tressed, and  gi-ieved,  and  kiUed,  by  attempting  to  promote 
rehgion  among  them,  while  they  are  engaged  heart  and  hand 
in  the  service  of  the  deviL 

Professors  of  religion  should  never  get  up  anything  that 
may  divert  public  attention  from  religion,  without  first  having 
consulted  llieir  minister,  and  made  it  a  subject  of  speci£j 
prayer.  And  if  they  find  it  wiU  have  this  effect,  they  ought 
never  to  do  it  Subjects  wiH  often  come  up  before  the  pubUc 
which  have  this  tendency  ;  some  course  of  lectures,  or  show, 
or  the  like.  Professors  ought  to  be  wise,  and  understand 
what  they  are  about,  and  not  give  countenance  to  any  such 
thing,  until  they  see  what  influence  it  will  have,  and  whether 
it  wm  hinder  a  revival  If  it  wiU  do  that,  let  them  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it.  Every  such  thing  should  be  estimated 
by  its  bearing  upon  Christ's  kingdom. 

In  relation  to  parties,  say  what  you  please  about  their  being 
an  innocent  recreation,  I  appeal  to  any  of  you  who  have  ever 
attended  them,  to  say  whether  they  fit  you  for  prayer,  or  in- 
crease your  spirituality,  or  whether  sinners  are  ever  converted 
in  them,  or  Christians  made  to  agonize  in  prayer  for  souls  ? 

EL  I  am  to  mention  several  things  which  churches  must 
DO,  if  they  would  promote  a  revival  and  aid  their  minister. 

1.  They  must  attend  to  his  temporal  wants.  A  minister, 
who  gives  himself  wholly  to  the  work,  cannot  be  engaged  in 
worldly  employments,  and  of  cottrse  is  entirely  dependent  on 
his  people  for  tiie  supply  of  his  temporal  wants,  including  the 
support  of  his  family.     I  need  not  argue  this  point  here,  for 


HOW    CHURCHES    CAN    HKIJ»    MINISTERS.  228 

you  all  understand  this  perfectly.  It  is  the  command  of  Gk)d, 
that  "  they  which  preach  the  Gospel  should  Hve  of  the  Gos- 
pel." But  now  look  around  and  see  how  mfiny  churches  do 
in  this  matter.  For  instance,  when  they  want  a  minister, 
they  will  cast  about  and  see  how  cheap  they  can  get  ona 
They  will  calculate  to  a  farthing  how  much  his  salt  will  cost, 
and  how  much  his  meal,  and  then  set  his  salary  so  low  as  to 
gubject  hiin  to  extreme  inconvenience  to  get  along  and  keep 
his  family.  A  minister  must  have  his  mind  at  ease,  to  study 
and  labor  with  efl'ect,  and  he  cannot  screw  down  prices,  and 
banter,  and  look  out  for  the  best  chances  to  buy  to  advan- 
tage what  he  needs.  If  he  is  obliged  to  do  this,  his  mind  ia 
embarrassed.  Unless  his  temporal  wants  are  so  supplied, 
that  his  thoughts  may  be  abstracted  from  them,  how  can  ho 
do  his  duty  ? 

2.  Be  honest  with  your  minister. 

Do  not  measure  out  and  calculate  with  how  much  salt  and 
how  many  bushels  of  grain  he  can  possibly  get  along.  Re- 
member, you  are  dealing  with  Christ  And  he  calls  you  to 
place  his  ministers  in  such  a  situation  that  with  ordinary  pru- 
dence temporal  embarrassment  is  out  of  the  question. 

3.  Be  punctval  with  him. 

Sometimes  chui'ches,  when  they  are  about  settling  a  min- 
ister, have  a  great  deal  of  pride  about  giving  a  salary,  and 
^ihey  will  get  up  a  subscription,  and  make  out  an  amount 
which  they  never  pay,  and  very  likely  never  expected  to  pay. 
And  so,  after  one,  two,  three  or  four  years,  the  society  gets 
three  or  four  hundred  doUars  in  arrears  to  their  minister,  and 
then  they  expect  he  will  give  it  to  them.  And  aU  the  while 
they  wonder  why  there  is  no  revival  I  This  may  be  the  very 
reason,  because  the  church  have  LIED  ;  they  have  faithfully 
promised  to  pay  so  much,  and  have  not  done  it,  God  cannot 
consistently  pour  out  his  Spirit  on  such  a  churclL 

4.  Fat/  him  his  salary  without  asking. 

Nothing  is  SG  embarrassing,  often,  to  a  minister  as  to  be 
oblin^ed  to  dun  his  people  for  his  salary.  Often  he  gets  ene- 
mies, and  gives  offence,  by  being  obliged  to  call,  and  call,  £uid 
call  for  his  money,  and  then  not  get  it  as  they  promised. 
They  would  have  paid  it  if  their  credit  had  been  at  stake,  but 
when  it  is  nothing  but  conscience  and  the  blessing  of  God, 
they  let  it  lie  along.  If  any  one  of  them  had  a  note  at  the 
bank,  you  would  see  him  careful  and  prompt  to  be  on  the 
ground  before  three  o'clock.  That  is  because  the  note  will 
be  protested,  and  they  shall,  lose  their  cliai*acter.  But  ih&^ 
know  the  mioister  will  not  tue  them  for  his  salary,  and  th6> 


224  HOW    CHURCHES    CAN    HELP    MnOSTEBS. 

ore  careless  and  let  it  run  along,  and  he  must  suffer  the  in- 
convenience. This  is  not  so  common  in  the  city  a-s  it  is  in 
the  country.  But  in  the  countiy,  I  have  known  some  heart- 
rending cases  of  distress  and  miseiy,  by  the  negligence  and 
cruelty  of  congregations  in  wrrHHOLDiNa  that  which  is  due. 
Churches  hve  in  habitual  lying  and  cheating,  and  then 
wonder  why  they  have  no  revival     How  can  they  wonder  ? 

5.  Pray  for  your  minister. 

I  mean  something  by  this.  And  what  do  you  suppose  I 
mean  ?  Even  the  apostles  used  to  urge  the  churches  to  pray 
for  them.  This  is  more  important  than  you  imagine.  Min- 
isters do  not  ask  people  to  pray  for  them  simply  as  men,  nor 
tnat  they  may  be  Med  with  an  abundance  of  the  Spirit's  in- 
fluences, merely  to  promote  their  personal  enjoyment.  But 
they  know  that  unless  the  church  greatly  desires  a  blessing 
upon  the  labors  of  a  minister,  it  is  tempting  God  for  him 
to  expect  it.  How  often  does  a  minister  go  iato  his  pulpit, 
feel  iiig  that  his  heart  is  ready  to  break  for  the  blessiug  of 
God,  while  he  also  feels  that  there  is  no  room  to  expect  it,  for 
there  is  no  reason  to  believe  the  church  desire  it  1  Perhaps 
he  has  been  two  hom-s  on  his  knees  in  supplication,  and  yet 
because  that  the  church  do  not  desire  a  blessiug,  he  feels  as 
if  his  words  would  bound  back  in  his  face. 

I  have  seen  Christians  who  would  be  in  an  agony,  when  the 
minister  was  going  iuto  the  pulpit,  for  fear  his  mind  should 
be  in  a  cloud,  or  his  heart  cold,  or  he  should  have  no  unction, 
and  so  a  blessiog  should  not  come.  I  have  labored  with  a 
man  of  this  sort.  He  would  pray  until  he  got  an  assiu-ance 
m  his  miud  that  God  would  be  with  me  iu  preaching,  and 
sometimes  he  would  pray  himself  sick.  I  have  known  the 
time,  when  he  has  been  in  darkness  for  a  season,  while  the 
people  were  gathering,  and  his  mind  was  full  of  anxiety,  and 
he  would  go  again  and  again  to  pray,  tiQ  finally  he  would 
come  into  the  room  vA\h  a  placid  face,  and  say,  "  The  Lord 
has  come,  and  he  will  be  with  us."  And  I  do  not  know  that 
I  ever  found  him  mistaken. 

I  have  known  a  church  bear  their  minister  on  their  arms  in 
prayer  from  day  to  day,  and  watch  with  anxiety  unutterable, 
to  see  that  he  has  the  Holy  Ghost  with  him  in  his  labors  I 
When  they  feel  and  pray  thus,  oh,  what  feelings  and  what 
looks  are  manifest  in  the  congregation!  They  have  felt 
anxiety  unutterable  to  have  the  word  come  with  power,  and 
take  effect,  and  when  they  see  their  prayer  answered,  and 
they  hear  a  word  or  a  sentence  cgme  WARM  from  the  hearty 
and  taking  effect  among  the  people,  you  can  see  their  whole 


HOW    CHURCHES    CAW    HELP    MllflFTETW.  MS 

^uls  look  out  of  their  eyes.  How  different  is  the  case,  where 
the  church  feel  that  the  minister  is  praying,  and  so  there  is  no 
need  of  their  praying!  They  are  mistaken.  The  church 
must  desire  and  pray  for  the  blessing.  God  says  he  will  be 
inquii-ed  of  by  the  home  of  Israd.  I  wish  you  to  feel  that 
there  can  be  no  substitute  for  this. 

I  have  seen  cases  in  re\dvals,  where  the  church  was  kept  in 
the  back  gi'ound  in  regard  to  prayer,  and  persons  fi'om  abroad 
were  called  on  to  pray  in  all  the  meetings.  This  is  always 
unhappy,  even  if  there  should  be  a  revival,  for  the  revival 
must  be  less  powerful  and  less  salutary  in  its  influences  upon 
the  church-  I  do  not  know  but  I  have  sometimes  offended 
Christians  and  ministers  fi'om  abroad,  by  continuing  to  call 
on  members  of  the  church  in  the  place  to  pray,  and  not  on 
those  from  abroad.  It  was  not  from  any  disi-espect  to  them, 
but  because  the  object  was  to  get  that  church  which  was 
chiefly  concei-ned,  to  desire,  and  pray,  and  agonize  for  a 
blessing. 

In  a  certain  place,  a  protnicted  meeting  was  held,  with  no 
good  results,  and  great  evils  produced.  I  was  led  to  make 
inquiry  for  the  reason.  And  it  came  out,  that  in  all  their  meeir 
ings,  not  one  member  of  their  own  chui'ch  was  called  on  to 
pray,  but  all  the  prayei-s  were  made  by  persons  from  abroad. 
No  wonder  there  was  no  good  dona  The  church  was  not 
interested.  The  leader  of  the  meeting  meant  well,  but  he 
undertook  to  promote  a  revival  without  getting  the  church 
there  into  the  work.  He  let  a  lazy  church  lie  still  and  do 
nothing,  and  so  there  could  be  no  good. 

Churches  should  pray  for  ministers  as  the  agents  of  break- 
ing down  siimers  with  the  word  of  truth.  Prayer  for  a  min« 
ister  is  often  done  in  a  set  and  formal  way,  and  confined  to 
the  prayer  meetings.  They  wiU  saij  their  prayers  in  the  old 
way,  as  they  have  always  done  :  "  Lord,  bless  thy  ndnistering 
servant,  whom  thou  hast  stationed  on  this  part  of  Zion's  walls, 
and  so  on,  and  it  amounts  to  nothing,  because  there  is  no 
heart  in  it.  And  the  proof  often  is,  that  they  never  thought 
of  praying  for  him  in  secret,  they  never  have  agonized  ia  theii 
closets  for  a  blessing  on  his  labors.  They  may  not  omit  it 
whoUy  in  their  meetinga  If  they  do  that,  it  is  evident  that 
they  care  veiy  httle  indeed  about  the  labors  of  their  minister. 
But  that  is  not  the  most  impoi*tant  place.  The  way  to  present 
effectual  prayer  for  your  minister  is  to  take  it  to  your  closet^ 
and  when  you  are  in  secret,  wrestle  with  God  for  success  to 
attend  his  labors. 

I  knew  a  case  of  a  minister  in  ill  health,  who  became  d(a> 
10» 


226  HOW   CHURCHES  CAN  HELP  JinNISTEES. 

pressed  and  sunk  down  in  Hs  mind,  and  was  very  much  in 
darkness,  so  that  lie  did  not  feel  as  if  he  could  preach  any 
longer.  An  individual  of  the  church  was  waked  up  to  feel 
for  the  minister's  situation,  and  to  pray  that  he  might  have 
the  Holy  Ghost  to  attend  his  preachiug.  One  Sabbath  morn- 
ing, this  person's  mind  was  very  much  exercised,  and  he  be- 
gan to  pray  as  soon  as  it  was  light,  and  prayed  again  and 
again  for  a  blessing  that  day.  And  the  Lord  in  some  way 
directed  the  minister  within  heariug  of  his  prayer.  The  per- 
son was  telling  the  Lord  just  what  he  thought  of  the  minis- 
ter's situation  and  state  of  mind,  and  pleading,  as  if  he  would 
not  be  denied,  for  a  blessing.  The  minister  went  into  the 
pulpit  and  preached,  and  the  light  broke  in  upon  him,  and 
the  word  was  with  power,  and  a  revival  commenced  that  very 
day. 

6.  A  minister  should  be  provided  for  by  the  church,  and  his 
support  guarranteed,  irrespective  of  the  ungodly.  Otherwise 
he  may  be  obliged  either  to  starve  his  family,  or  to  keep  back 
a  part  of  the  truth  so  as  to  not  offend  sinners.  I  once  expos- 
tulated with  a  minister  who  I  found  was  afraid  to  come  out 
fuUy  with  the  truth.  I  told  liim  I  was  surprised  he  did  not 
bear  down  on  certain  points.  He  told  me  he  was  so  situated 
that  he  must  please  certain  men,  who  would  be  touched  there. 
It  was  the  ungodly  that  chiefly  supported  him,  and  that  made 
him  dependent  and  temporizing.  And  yet  perhaps  that  very 
church  which  left  their  minister  dependent  on  the  imgodly 
for  his  bread,  will  turn  round  and  abuse  him  for  his  want  of 
faith,  and  his  fear  of  men.  The  church  ought  always  to  say 
to  their  minister,  "  We  wiQ  support  you ;  go  to  work ;  let 
the  truth  pour  down  on  the  people,  and  we  will  stand  by  you." 

7.  See  that  everything  is  so  arranged,  that  people  can  sit 
comfortably  in  meeting.  If  people  do  not  sit  easy,  it  is  difficult 
to  get  or  to  keep  their  attention.  And  if  they  are  not  attentive, 
they  can  not  be  converted.  They  have  come  to  hear  for  their 
Hves,  and  they  ought  to  be  so  situated  that  they  can  hear  with 
all  their  souls,  and  have  nothing  in  their  bodily  position  to  call 
for  attention.  Churches  do  not  realize  how  important  it  is 
that  the  place  of  meeting  should  be  made  comfortable.  I  do 
not  mean  showy.  All  your  glare  and  glory  of  rich  chandehers, 
and  rich  carpets,  and  splendid  pulpits,  is  the  opposite  extreme, 
and  takes  off  the  attention  just  as  badly,  and  defeats  every 
object  for  which  a  sioner  should  come  to  meeting.  You  need 
fiot  expect  a  revival  there. 

8.  See  that  the  house  of  God  is  kept  cleanly.  The  house  of 
God  should  be  kept  as  dean  as  you  would  want  your  oini 


HOW    OHUECHES   CA_W   HELP   MUTISTEBS.  22^ 

house  to  be  kept.  Churches  are  often  kept  excessively  slovenly. 
I  have  seen  them,  where  people  used  so  much  tobacco,  and 
took  so  little  care  about  neatness,  that  it  was  impossible  to 
preach  with  comfort.  Once  in  a  protracted  meeting,  the 
thing  was  charged  upon  the  church,  and  they  had  to  acknowl- 
edge it,  that  they  paid  more  money  for  tobacco  than  they  did 
for  the  cause  of  missions.  They  could  not  kneel  in  their  pews, 
and  ladies  could  not  sit  without  all  the  time  watching  their 
clothes,  and  they  had  to  be  careful  where  they  stepped,  be- 
cause the  house  was  so  dirty,  and  there  was  so  much  tobacco 
juice  running  all  about  the  floor.  If  people  cannot  go  where 
they  can  hear  without  being  aimoyed  with  offensive  sights  and 
smells,  and  where  they  can  kneel  in  prayer,  what  good  will  a 
protracted  meeting  do?  There  is  an  importance  in  these 
things,  which  is  not  realized.  See  that  man  1  What  is  he 
doing?  I  am  preaching  to  him  about  eternal  life,  and  he  ia 
thinking  about  the  dirty  pew.  And  that  woman  is  asking  for 
a  footstool  to  keep  her  feet  out  of  the  tobacco  juice.    Shame  I 

9.  It  is  importfiiit  that  the  house  should  he  just  warm  enough^ 
and  not  too  warm.  Suppose  a  minister  comes  into  a  house,  and 
finds  it  cold  ;  he  sees  as  soon  as  he  gets  in,  that  he  might  as  weU 
have  staid  at  home  ;  the  people  are  shivering,  their  feet  cold, 
they  feel  as  if  they  should  take  cold,  they  are  uneasy,  and  he 
wishes  he  was  at  home,  for  he  knows  he  cannot  do  anything, 
but  he  must  preach,  or  they  will  be  disappointed. 

Or  he  may  find  the  house  too  warm,  and  the  people,  instead 
of  listening  to  the  truth,  are  fanning,  and  panting  for  breath, 
and  by  and  by  a  woman  faints,  and  makes  a  stir,  and  the  train 
of  thought  and  feeling  is  all  lost,  and  so  a  whole  sermon  is 
wasted  to  no  good  end.  These  Uttle  things  take  off  the  atten- 
tion of  people  from  the  words  of  eternal  Hfe.  And  very  often 
it  is  so,  that  if  you  drop  a  single  link  in  the  chain  of  argument, 
you  lose  the  whole,  and  the  people  are  damned,  just  because 
ttie  careless  church  do  not  see  to  the  proper  regulation  of 
these  little  matters. 

10.  The  house  should  be  well  ventilated.  Of  all  houses,  a 
church  should  be  the  most  perfectly  ventilated.  If  there  is  no 
change  of  the  air,  it  passes  through  so  many  lungs  it  becomes 
bad,  and  its  vitality  is  exhausted,  and  the  people  pant,  they 
know  not  why,  and  feel  an  almost  in-esistible  desire  to  sleep, 
and  the  minister  preaches  in  vain.  The  sermon  is  lost,  and 
worse  than  lost.  I  have  often  wondered  that  this  matter  should 
be  so  httle  the  subject  of  thought  The  elders  and  trustees 
wiU  sit  and  hear  a  whole  sermon,  while  the  people  are  aU  but 
ready  to  die  for  the  want  of  air,  and  the  minister  is  wasting 


f28  HOW   OHUIiCHBS    CAUr    ELELP   MIXISTESS. 

his  strength  in  preaching  where  the  room  is  just  like  sm  ex- 
hausted receiver,  and  there  they  sit  and  never  think  to  do  any- 
thing to  help  the  matter.  They  should  take  it  upon  them- 
selves to  see  that  this  is  regulated  right,  that  the  house  is  just 
warm  enough,  and  the  air  kept  pure.  How  important  it  is 
that  the  church  should  be  awake  to  this  subject,  that  the  min- 
ister may  labor  to  the  best  advantage,  and  the  people  give 
their  undivided  attention  to  the  truth,  which  is  to  save  their 
Bouls. 

It  is  very  common,  when  things  are  wrong,  to  have  it  all 
laid  to  the  sexton.  This  is  not  so.  Often  the  sexton  is  not 
to  blame.  If  the  house  is  cold  and  uncomfortable,  very  often 
it  is  because  the  fuel  is  not  good,  or  the  stoves  not  suitable, 
or  the  house  is  so  open  it  cannot  be  warmed.  If  it  is  too 
warm,  perhaps  somebody  has  intermeddled  when  he  was  out, 
and  heaped  on  fuel  without  discretion.  Or,  if  the  sexton  is  in 
fault,  perhaps  it  is  because  the  church  do  not  pay  him  enough 
for  his  services,  and  he  cannot  afford  to  give  the  attention 
necessary  to  keep  the  church  in  order.  Churches  sometimes 
screw  down  the  sexton's  salary,  to  the  lowest  point,  so  that 
he  is  obliged  to  shght  his  work.  Or  they  will  select  one  who 
is  incompetent,  for  the  sake  of  getting  him  cheap,  and  then 
the  thing  is  not  done.  The  fault  is  in  the  chui'ch.  Let  them 
give  an  adequate  compensation  for  the  work,  and  it  can  be 
done,  and  done  faithfully.  If  one  sexton  wih  not  do  right, 
another  will,  and  the  church  are  bound  to  see  it  done  right, 
or  else  let  them  dismiss  then*  minister,  and  not  keep  him,  and 
at  the  same  time  have  other  things  in  a  state  so  out  of  ordei 
that  he  loses  all  his  work.  What  economy  I  To  pay  the  min- 
ister's  salary,  and  then  for  the  want  of  fifty  dollars  added  to 
the  sexton's  wages,  everything  is  so  out  of  order  that  the  min- 
ister's labors  are  all  lost,  souls  are  lost,  and  your  childi*en  and 
neighbors  go  down  to  hell ! 

Sometimes  this  uncleanhness,  and  negligence,  and  confusion 
are  chargeable  to  the  minister.  Perhaps  he  uses  tobacco,  and 
sets  the  example  of  defiling  the  house  of  God.  Perhaps  the 
pulpit  will  be  the  filthiest  place  in  the  house.  I  have  some- 
times been  in  pulpits  that  were  too  loathesome  to  be  occupied 
by  human  beings.  If  a  minister  has  no  more  piety  and  de- 
cency than  this,  no  wonder  things  are  at  loose  ends  in  the 
congregation.     And  generally  it  is  even  so. 

11.  People  should  leave  their  dogs,  and  very  young  child- 
ren at  home.  I  have  often  known  contentions  arise  among 
dogs,  and  children  to  cry,  just  at  that  stage  of  the  services, 
that  would  most  effectually  destroy  the  effect  of  the  meeting 


HOW    CHURCHES    CAI^    HELP    MINISTHBS.  229 

If  childi'en  are  present  and  weep,  they  should  instantly  be  re- 
moved I  have  sometimes  known  a  mother  or  a  mii*8e  sit  and 
toss  her  child,  while  its  ones  were  diverting  the  attention  of 
the  whole  congregation.  This  is  cruel.  And  as  for  dogs,  they 
had  infinitely  better  be  dead,  than  to  divert  attention  from  the 
word  of  God  See  that  deacon  ;  perhaps  his  dog  has  in  this 
way  destroyed  more  souls  than  the  deacon  will  ever  be  instru- 
mental in  saving. 

12.  The  members  of  the  church  should  aid  the  minister  by 
visiting  from  house  to  house,  and  trying  to  save  souls.  Do  not 
leave  all  this  to  the  minister.  It  is  impossible  he  should  do 
it,  even  if  he  gives  all  his  time,  and  neglects  his  study  and  his 
closet  Chm-ch  members  should  take  pains  and  qualify  them- 
selves for  this  duty,  so  that  they  can  be  useful  iu  it. 

13.  They  shoulti  hold  Bible  classes.  Suitable  individuals 
should  be  selected  to  hold  Bible  classes,  for  the  instruction  of 
the  yoimg  people,  and  where  those  who  are  awakened  or 
affected  by  the  preaching,  can  be  received  and  be  converted. 
As  soon  as  any  one  is  seen  to  be  touched,  let  them  be  in- 
vited to  join  the  Bible  class,  where  they  will  bo  properly 
treated,  and  probably  they  ^vlll  be  converted  The  chm-ch 
should  select  the  best  men  for  this  service,  and  should  all  be 
on  the  look  out  to  fill  up  the  Bible  classes.  It  has  been  done 
in  this  congregation,  and  it  is  a  very  common  thing,  when 
persons  are  impressed,  that  they  are  observed  by  somebody, 
and  invited  to  join  the  Bible  class,  and  they  will  do  it,  and 
there  they  are  converted.  I  do  not  mean  that  we  are  doing 
all  we  ought  to  do  in  this  way,  or  all  we  might  do.  We  want 
more  teachers,  able  and  willing  to  take  charge  of  such  classes. 

14  Chm'ches  should  sustain  Sabbath  schools,  and  in  this 
way  aid  their  ministers  in  saving  souls.  How  can  a  minister 
attend  to  this  and  preach  ?  Unless  the  church  will  take  off 
these  responsibilities,  and  cares,  and  labors,  he  must  either 
neglect  them,  or  be  crushed  Let  the  church  be  WIDE 
AWAKE,  watch  and  biing  in  children  to  the  school,  and 
teach  them  faithfully,  and  lay  themselves  out  to  promote  a 
revival  in  the  school. 

15.  They  should  2vatch  over  the  members  of  the  church. 
They  should  visit  each  other,  in  order  to  stir  each  other  up, 
know  each  other's  spiritual  state,  and  provoke  one  another  to 
love  jrnd  good  works.  The  minister  cannot  do  it,  he  has  not 
time  ;  it  is  impossible  he  should  study  and  prepare  sermons, 
and  at  the  sajne  time  visit  every  member  of  the  church  as 
often  as  it  needs  to  be  done  to  keep  them  advancing.  The 
church    aj*e  bound    to   do   it.       They   are   under    oath    to 


ISO  HOW   CHUECHES   CAN    HELP   MINISTERS. 

watch  over  each  other's  spiritual  welfare.  But  how  is  this 
done  1  Many  do  not  know  each  other.  They  meet  and  pass 
each  other  as  strangers,  and  never  ask  about  their  spiritual 
condition.  But  if  they  hear  anything  bad  of  one,  they  go 
and  tell  it  to  others.  Instead  of  watching  over  each  other 
for  their  good,  they  watch  for  their  halting.  How  can  they 
watch  for  good  when  they  are  not  even  acquainted  with  each 
other? 

16.  The  chui'ch  should  watch  for  the  effect  of  preaching.  11 
they  are  praying  for  the  success  of  the  preached  word,  they 
will  watch  for  it  of  coui'se.  They  should  keep  a  look  out, 
and  when  any  in  the  congregation  give  evidence  that  the 
word  of  God  has  taken  hold  of  them,  they  should  follow  it 
up.  Wherever  there  are  any  exhibitions  of  feeling,  those 
persons  should  be  attended  to  instantly,  and  not  left  till  their 
impressions  wear  offl  They  should  talk  to  them,  or  get  them 
visited,  or  get  them  into  the  anxious  meeting,  or  into  the 
Bible  class,  or  bring  them  to  the  minister.  If  the  membem 
of  the  church  do  not  attend  to  this,  they  neglect  their  duty. 
If  they  attend  to  it,  they  may  do  incalculable  good- 
There  was  a  pious  young  woman  who  lived  in  a  very  cold 

and  wicked  place.  She  alone  had  the  spirit  of  prayer,  and 
she  had  been  praying  for  a  blessing  upon  the  word.  At 
length  she  saw  one  individual  in  the  congregation  who  seemed 
to  be  affected  by  the  preaching,  and  as  soon  as  the  minister 
came  from  the  pulpit,  she  came  forward,  agitated  and  trem- 
bling, and  begged  him  to  go  and  converse  with  the  person 
immediately.  He  did  so,  and  the  individual  was  soon  con- 
verted, and  a  revival  followed.  Now  one  of  your  stupid  pro- 
fessors would  not  have  seen  that  individual  awakened,  and 
would  have  stumbled  over  half  a  dozen  of  them  without  no- 
tice, and  let  them  go  to  heU.  Professors  should  watch  every 
sermon,  and  see  how  it  affects  the  congi'egation.  I  do  not 
mean  that  they  should  be  stretching  their  necks  and  staring 
ibout  the  house,  but  they  should  observe,  as  they  may,  and 
if  they  find  any  person  affected  by  preaching,  throw  them- 
selves in  his  way,  and  guide  him  to  the  Saviour. 

17.  Beware  and  7wt  give  away  all  the  preaching  to  others. 
If  you  do  not  take  your  portion,  you  will  starve,  and  become 
like  spiritual  skeletons.  Christians  should  take  their  portion 
to  themselves.  If  the  word  should  be  quite  searching  to 
them,  they  should  make  the  honest  apphcation,  and  lay  it 
along  side  their  heart  and  practise  it,  and  hve  by  it.  Other- 
wise preaching  will  do  them  no  good- 

18    Be  ready  to  aid  your  minister  in  effecting  his  plans  for 


HOW    CHUEC'HBS    CAN    HBLP   MINISTEEft.  231 

tloinff  pood.  When  the  minister  is  wise  to  devise  plans  for 
usefuhiess,  and  the  church  ready  to  execute  them,  they  may 
carry  all  before  them.  But  when  the  church  hang  back  from 
every  enterprise  until  they  are  actually  dragged  into  it,  when 
they  are  opposing  every  proposal,  because  it  will  cost  some' 
thing,  they  are  a  dead  weight  upon  a  minister.  If  stoves  are 
needed,  oh,  no,  they  will  cost  something.  If  lamps  are  caUed 
for,  to  prevent  preaching  in  the  dark,  oh,  no,  they  will  cost 
something.  And  so  they  will  stick  up  candles  on  the  posts, 
or  do  vdthout  evening  meetings  altogether.  If  they  stick  up 
candles,  it  soon  comes  to  pass  that  they  either  give  no  light, 
or  some  one  must  run  round  and  snuff  them.  And  so  the 
whole  congregation  are  disturbed  by  the  candle-snuffer,  their 
attention  taken  of^  and  the  sermon  lost. 

I  was  once  attending  a  protracted  meeting,  where  we  were 
emban-assed  because  there  were  no  lamj^s  to  the  house.  I 
urged  the  people  to  get  them,  but  they  thought  it  would  ooet 
too  much.  I  then  proposed  to  get  them  myself,  and  was 
about  to  do  it,  but  found  it  would  give  offence,  and  we  went 
on  without.  But  the  blessing  did  not  come,  to  any  great  ex- 
tent How  could  it  ?  The  church  began  by  calculating  to  a 
cent  how  much  it  would  cost,  and  they  would  not  go  beyond, 
to  save  souls  from  heL 

So  where  a  minister  appoints  a  meeting,  such  people  cannot 
have  it,  because  it  will  cost  something.  If  they  can  offer 
unto  the  Lord  that  which  costs  nothing,  they  will  do  it. 
Miserable  helpers  they  are  1  Such  a  church  can  have  no  re- 
vival A  minister  might  as  well  have  a  nullstone  about  hia 
neck  as  such  a  church.  He  had  better  leave  them,  if  he  can- 
not teach  them  better,  and  go  where  he  will  not  be  so 
hampered- 

19.  Church  members  should  make  it  a  point  to  attend  prayer 
meetings,  and  attend  in  time.  Some  church  members  will  always 
attend  on  preaching,  because  there  they  have  nothing  to  do, 
but  to  sit  and  hesir,  and  be  entertained,  but  they  will  not  atp 
tend  prayer  meetings,  for  fear  they  shall  be  called  on  to  do 
something.  Such  members  tie  up  the  hands  of  the  minister, 
emd  discourage  his  heart  Why  do  they  employ  a  minister? 
Is  it  to  amuse  them  by  preaching  ?  or  is  it  that  he  may  teach 
them  the  will  of  God  that  they  may  do  it  ? 

20.  Church  members  ought  to  study  and  inquire  what  they 
can  do,  and  then  do  it.  Christians  should  be  trained  Hke  a 
band  of  soldiers.  It  is  the  duty  and  office  of  a  minist>er  to 
train  them  for  usefulness,  to  teach  them  and  direct  them,  and 
lead  them  on  in  such  a  way  a£  to  produce  the  greatest  amount 


232  HOW    CHURCHES    CAN    HET^    MINISTEE8. 

of  moral  influence.  And  then  they  should  stand  their  gronnd 
and  do  their  duty,  otherwise  they  will  be  right  in  the  way. 

There  are  many  other  points  which  I  noted,  and  intended 
to  touch  upon,  but  there  is  not  time.  I  could  write  a  book  as 
big  as  this  Bible,  in  detailing  the  various  particulars  that 
ought  to  be  attended  to.     I  must  close  with  a  few 

REMAKES. 

1.  Ton  see  that  a  minister's  want  of  success  may  not  be 
wholly  on  account  of  a  want  of  wisdom  in  the  exercise  of  his 
office.  I  am  not  going  to  plead  for  neghgent  ministers.  I 
never  will  spare  ministers  from  the  naked  truth,  nor  apply 
flattering  titles  to  men.  If  they  are  blameworthy,  let  them 
be  blamed.  And  no  doubt  they  are  always  more  or  less  to 
blame  when  the  word  produces  no  eflect  But  it  is  far  from 
being  true  that  they  are  always  the  principal  persons  t^ 
blame.  Sometimes  the  church  is  much  more  to  blame  than 
the  minister,  and  if  an  apostle  or  an  angel  from  heaven  were 
to  preach,  he  could  not  produce  a  revival  of  religion  in  that 
church.  Perhaps  they  are  dishonest  to  their  minister,  or 
covetous,  or  careless  about  the  conveniences  of  public  wor- 
ship. Alas!  what  a  state  many  country  churches  are  in, 
where,  for  the  want  of  a  hundred  doUars,  everything  is  in- 
convenient and  uncomfortable,  and  the  labors  of  the  preacher 
are  lost  They  live  in  ceiled  houses  themselves,  and  let  the 
house  of  God  he  wasta  Or  the  church  counteract  all  the  in- 
fluence of  preaching  by  their  ungodly  hves.  Or  perhaps  their 
parties,  their  worldly  show,  as  in  most  of  the  churches  in  this 
city,  annihilate  the  influence  of  the  Gospel 

2.  Churches  should  remember  that  they  are  exceedingly 
guilty  to  employ  a  minister,  and  then  not  aid  him  in  his  work 
The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  sent  an  ambassador  to  sinners,  to 
turn  them  from  their  evil  ways,  and  he  fails  of  his  errand,  be- 
cause the  church  refuse  to  do  their  duty.  Instead  of  recom- 
mending his  message,  and  seconding  his  entreaties,  and  hold- 
ing up  his  hands  in  all  the  ways  that  are  proper,  they  stand 
right  in  the  way,  and  contradict  his  message,  and  counteract 
his  influence,  and  souls  perish.  No  doubt  in  most  of  the 
congregations  in  the  United  States,  the  minister  is  often  hin- 
dered so  much  that  he  might  as  well  be  on  a  foreign  mission 
a  great  part  of  the  time,  as  to  be  there,  for  any  effect  of  hia 
preaching  in  the  conversion  of  sinnei*s,  while  he  has  to  preach 
Qver  the  heads  of  an  mactive,  stupid  church. 

And  yet  these  very  churches  are  not  willing  to  have  theii 


HOW    OHUBCITRS   CAJT    HELP   MTNISTEBS.  S3S 

minister  absent  a  few  days  to  attend  a  protracted  meeting. 
**  We  cannot  spare  him  ;  why  he  is  otir  minister^  and  we  lika 
to  have  our  minister  here  ; "  while  at  tlie  same  time  they  hin- 
der all  he  can  do.  If  he  could,  he  would  tear  himself  right 
away,  and  go  where  there  is  no  minister,  and  where  the 
people  would  be  willing  to  receive  the  Gospel  But  there  he 
must  stay,  though  he  cannot  get  the  chui'ch  into  a  state  to 
have  a  revival  once  in  three  years,  to  last  thi-ee  months  at  a 
time.  It  might  be  well  for  him  tx)  say  to  the  church,  "  WTien- 
ever  you  are  determined  to  take  one  of  these  long  naps,  I 
wish  you  to  let  me  know  it,  so  that  I  can  go  and  labor  some- 
whei-e  else  in  the  meantime,  till  you  are  ready  to  wake 
again." 

3.  Many  chui'ches  cannot  be  blessed  with  a  revival,  because 
they  are  spunging  out  of  other  churches,  and  out  of  the  ti-eas* 
my  of  the  Lord  for  the  support  of  their  minister,  when  they 
are  abundantly  able  to  support  him  themselves.  Perhaps 
they  are  depending  on  the  Home  Missionary  Society,  or  on 
other  churches,  while  they  are  not  exercising  any  self-denial 
for  the  sake  of  the  Gospel.  I  have  been  amazed  to  see  how 
some  churches  Hve.  One  church  that  I  was  acquainted  with 
actually  confessed  that  they  spent  more  money  for  tobacco 
tlian  they  gave  for  missions.  And  yet  they  had  no  minister, 
because  they  were  not  able  to  support  one.  And  they  have  none 
now.  And  yet  there  is  one  man  in  that  church  who  is  able  to 
support  a  minister.  And  still  they  have  no  minister,  and  no 
preaching. 

The  churches  have  not  been  instructed  in  their  duty  on  this 
subject.  I  stopped  in  one  place  last  summer,  where  there 
was  no  preaching.  I  inquired  of  an  elder  in  the  church  why 
it  was  so,  and  he  said  it  was  because  they  were  so  poor.  I 
asked  him  how  much  he  was  worth.  He  did  not  give  me  a 
direct  answer,  but  said  that  another  elder's  income  was  about 
$5,000  a  year,  and  I  finally  found  out  that  this  man's  was 
about  the  sama  Here,  said  I,  are  two  elders,  each  of  you 
able  to  support  a  minister,  and  because  you  cannot  get  help 
from  abroad,  you  have  no  preaching.  Why,  if  you  had 
preaching,  it  would  not  be  blessed,  while  you  were  tliup 
spunging  out  of  the  Lord's  treasury.  Finally,  he  confessed 
that  he  was  able  to  support  a  minister,  and  the  two  together 
agreed  that  they  would  do  it 

It  is  common  for  churches  to  ask  help,  when  in  fact  they 
do  not  need  any  help,  and  when  it  would  be  a  great  deal  bet- 
ter for  them  to  support  their  own  minister.  If  they  get  funds 
trom  the  Home  Tiiiiisionaiy  Society,  when  they  ought  to  rais€ 


994  HOW    CHXTBCHES    CA.W    HELP   MLNLSTBBS. 

them  themselves,  they  may  expect  the  curse  of  the  Lord  upon 
them,  and  this  will  be  a  sufficient  reason  for  the  Gospel's 
proving  to  them  a  curse  rather  than  a  blessing.  Of  how 
many  churches  might  it  be  said,  "  Ye  have  robbed  God,  even 
this  whole  church." 

I  know  a  church  who  employed  a  minister  but  half  the 
time,  and  felt  unable  to  pay  his  salary  for  thai  A  female 
working  society  in  a  neighboring  town  appropriated  their 
funds  to  this  object,  and  assisted  ttds  church  in  paying  their 
minister's  salary.  The  result  was  as  might  be  expected.  He 
did  them  httle  or  no  good.  They  had  no  revival  under  his 
preaching,  nor  could  they  ever  expect  any,  while  acting  on 
such  a  principle.  There  was  one  man  in  that  congregation 
who  could  support  a  minister  all  the  time.  I  was  informed 
by  a  member  that  the  church  members  were  supposed  to  be 
worth  TWO  mjNDRED  THOUSAND  DOLLARS.  Now  if  this  is  true, 
here  is  a  church  with  an  income,  at  seven  percent.,  of  $14,000 
a  year,  who  felt  themselves  too  poor  to  pay  $200  for  support 
of  a  minister  to  preach  half  the  time,  and  would  suffer  the 
females  of  a  neighboiing  town  to  work  with  their  own  hands 
to  aid  them  in  paying  this  sum.  Among  the  elders  of  this 
church,  I  found  that  several  of  them  used  tobacco,  and  two 
of  them  who  lived  together  signed  a  covenant  written  on  the 
blank  leaf  of  their  Bible,  in  which  they  pledged  themselves  to 
abandon  that  sin  for  ever. 

It  was  in  a  great  measure  for  want  of  right  instruction 
that  this  church  was  pursuing  such  a  course.  For  when  the 
subject  was  taken  up,  and  tiieir  duty  laid  before  them,  the 
wealthy  man  of  whom  I  am  speaking  said  that  he  would  pay  the 
whole  salary  himself,  if  he  thought  it  would  not  be  resented 
by  the  congregation,  and  do  more  hurt  than  good  ;  and  that 
if  the  church  would  procure  a  minister,  and  go  ahead  and 
raise  a  part  of  his  salary,  he  would  make  up  the  remainder. 
They  can  now  not  only  support  a  minister  half  the  time,  but 
aU  the  time,  and  pay  his  salary  themselves.  And  they  will 
find  it  good  and  profitable  to  do  so. 

As  I  have  gone  from  place  to  place  laboring  in  revivals,  I 
have  always  found  that  churches  were  blessed  iq  proportion 
to  their  hberahty.  Where  they  have  manifested  a  disposition 
to  support  the  Gospel,  and  to  pour  their  substance  liberally 
into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord,  they  have  been  blessed  both  in 
spiritual  and  in  temporal  things.  But  where  they  have  been 
parsimonious,  and  let  the  minister  preach  for  them  for  little 
or  nothing,  these  churches  have  been  cursed  instead  of 
blessed     And  as  a  general  thing,  in  revivals  of  rehgion,  1 


HOW    CHURCHES    CAN    HELF    MJLN  ISTiCKS.  23ft 

have  found  it  to  be  tnie  that  yonng  converts  are  most  in 
clined  to  join  those  churches  which  are  most  Uberal  in  mak 
ing  efforts  to  support  the  Gospel. 

The  churches  are  very  much  in  the  dark  on  this  subject 
They  have  not  been  taught  their  duty.  I  have,  in  many  in 
stances,  found  an  exceeding  readiness  to  do  it  when  the  sub 
ject  was  laid  before  them.  I  knew  an  elder  iq  a  church  who 
was  talking  about  getting  a  minister  for  half  the  time,  be- 
cause the  church  were  poor,  although  his  own  income  was 
considerable.  I  asked  him  if  his  income  was  not  sufficient  to 
support  a  minister  all  the  time  himself.  He  said  it  waa 
And  on  being  asked  what  other  use  he  could  make  of  the 
Lord's  money  which  he  possessed,  that  would  prove  so  bene- 
ficial to  the  interests  of  Christ's  kiagdom,  as  to  employ  a 
minister  not  only  half  but  all  the  time  in  his  own  town,  he 
concluded  to  set  himself  about  it  A  minister  has  been  ac- 
cordingly obtained,  and  I  believe  they  find  no  difficulty  in 
paying  him  his  full  salary. 

The  fact  is,  that  a  minister  can  do  but  little  by  preaching 
only  half  the  time.  If  on  one  Sabbath  an  impression  is 
made,  it  is  lost  before  a  fortnight  comes  round.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  economy,  a  church  should  lay  themselves  out  to  sup- 
port the  Gospel  all  the  time.  If  they  get  the  right  sort  of  a 
minister,  and  keep  hhr\  steadily  at  work,  they  may  have  a  re- 
vival, and  thus  the  ungodly  wiU  be  converted  and  come  in  and 
help  them.  And  thus  in  one  year  they  may  have  a  great  ac- 
cession to  their  strength.  But  if  they  employ  a  minister  but 
half  the  time,  year  after  year  may  roll  away,  while  sinners 
are  going  to  hell,  and  no  accession  is  made  to  their  strength 
from  the  ranks  of  the  ungodly. 

The  fact  is,  that  professors  of  religion  have  not  been  made  i 
to  feel  that  aU  their  possessions  are  the  Lord's.  Hence  they 
have  talked  about  giving  their  property  for  the  support  of  the 
Gospel  As  if  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  a  beggar,  and  thej 
called  upon  to  support  his  Gt)spel  as  an  act  of  almsgiving  I 
A  merchant  in  one  of  the  towns  in  this  State,  was  paying 
a  large  part  of  his  minister's  salary.  One  of  the  members 
of  the  church  was  relating  the  fact  to  a  minister  from 
abroad,  and  speaking  of  the  sacrifice  which  this  merchant  was 
making.  At  this  moment  the  merchant  came  in.  "  Brother,** 
said  the  minister,  "  you  ai'e  a  merchant  Suppose  you  em- 
ploy a  clerk  to  sell  goods,  and  a  schoolmaster  to  teach  your 
children.  You  order  your  clerk  to  pay  your  schoolmaster 
out  of  the  store  such  an  amount,  for  his  services  in  teaching. 
Now  suppose  your  clerk  should  give  out  that  he  had  to  pay 


286  HOW    CHUECHE8    CAN    HELP    MTNTSTBSBa. 

this  schoolmaster  his  salary,  and  should  speak  of  the  sacri* 
fices  that  ke  was  making  to  do  it,  what  would  vou  say  to 
this?"  "AVhy,"  said  the  merchant,  "I  should  say  it  was 
ridiculous."  "  Well,"  says  the  minister,  "  God  employs  you 
to  sell  goods  as  his  clerk,  and  your  minister  he  employs  to 
teach  his  children,  and  requires  you  to  pay  his  salary  out  of 
the  income  of  the  store.  Now,  do  you  call  this  your  sacrifice, 
and  say  that  you  are  making  a  great  sacrifice,  to  pay  this 
minister's  salaiy  ?  No,  you  are  just  as  much  bound  to  sell 
goods  for  God  as  he  is  to  preach  for  God.  You  have  no 
more  right  to  sell  goods  for  the  purpose  of  laying  up  money, 
than  he  has  to  preach  the  Gospel  for  the  same  purpose.  You 
are  bound  to  be  just  as  pious,  and  to  aim  as  singly  at  the 
gloi-y  of  God,  in  selhng  goods,  as  he  is  in  preaching  the 
Gospel  And  thus  you  are  as  absolutely  to  give  up  your 
whole  time  for  the  service  of  God  as  he  does.  You  and  your 
family  may  lawfully  hve  out  of  the  avails  of  the  store,  and  so 
may  the  minister  and  his  family,  just  as  lawfully.  If  you  sell 
goods  from  these  motives,  selling  goods  is  just  as  much  serv 
ing  God  as  preachuig.  And  a  man  who  sells  goods  upon 
these  principles,  and  acts  ia  conformity  to  them,  is  just  as 
pious,  just  as  much  in  the  service  of  God,  as  he  is  who  preaches 
the  Gospel.  Eveiy  man  is  bound  to  serve  God  in  his  calling, 
the  minister  by  teaching,  the  merchant  by  selling  goods,  the 
farmer  by  tilling  his  fields,  the  lawyer  and  physician  by  plying 
the  duties  of  their  profession. 

"  It  is  equaUy  uidawful  for  any  one  of  these  to  labor  for 
the  meat  that  perisheth.  All  they  do  is  to  be  for  God,  and 
£ill  they  can  earn,  after  comfortably  supporting  their  fami- 
lies, is  to  be  dedicated  to  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  and  the 
salvation  of  the  world." 

It  has  long  enough  been  supposed  that  ministers  must  be 
more  pious  than  other  men,  that  they  must  not  love  the  world, 
that  they  must  labor  for  God  :  they  must  hve  as  frugally  as 
possible,  and   lay   out   their  whole   time,    and   healtb,    and 
strength,  and  life,  to  build  up  the  Idngdom  of  Jesus  Christ. 
This  is  trua      But  although  other   men  are  not  caDed  to 
labor  in  the  same  field,  and  to  give  up  their  time  to  public 
!  iastniction,  yet  they  are  just  as  ahsolulely  bound  to  consider 
\  their  whole  time  as  God's,  and  have  no  more  right  to  love 
j  the  world,  or  acciunulate  wealth,  or  lay  it  up  for  their  chil- 
dren, or  spend  it  upon  theu*  lusts,  than  ministers  have. 

It  is  high  time  the  clmi*ch  was  acquainted  with  these  prin- 
ciples ;  and  the  Ilome  Missionaiy  Society  may  labor  till  the 
day  of  judgment  to  convert  the  people,  and  they  wiU  never 


HOW   BHXJBCHES   CAN   HELP   MINISTBBS.  28T 

sncceed,  till  the  churches  are  led  to  unclerstand  and  feel 
their  duty  in  this  respect.  "^Tiy,  the  very  fact  that  they  are 
asking  and  receivinf>-  aid  in  supporting  their  minister  fi'om 
the  Home  Missionary  Society  while  they  are  able  to  suppoH 
him  tliemselves,  is  probably  the  very  reason  why  his  labors 
among  them  are  not  more  blessed. 

I  would  that  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  pos- 
sessed a  hundred  times  the  means  that  it  now  does,  of  aid- 
ing feeble  churches,  that  are  unable  to  help  themselvea  But 
it  is  neither  good  economy  nor  piety  to  give  their  funds  bo 
those  who  are  able  but  unwilling  to  support  the  Gospel.  For 
it  is  in  vain  to  attempt  to  help  them,  while  they  are  able  but 
imwilling  to  hel})  themselves. 

If  the  Missionary  Society  had  a  ton  of  gold,  it  would  be 
no  cliarity  to  give  it  to  such  a  church.  But  let  the  church 
bring  in  all  the  tithes  to  God's  storehouse,  and  God  will  open 
the  windows  of  heaven  and  pour  down  a  blessing.  But  let 
the  chiu-ches  know  assuredly  that  if  they  are  unwilHng  to 
help  themselves  to  the  extent  of  their  ability,  they  will  know 
the  reason  why  such  small  success  attends  the  labors  of  their 
ministers.  Here  they  are  spunging  their  support  from  the 
Lord's  treasiuy.  How  many  churches  are  lajiog  out  their 
money  for  tea  and  coffee  and  tobacco,  and  then  come  and 
ask  aid  from  the  Home  IMissionary  Society !  I  vvill  protest 
against  aithng  a  church  who  use  tea  and  tobacco,  and  hve 
without  the  least  self-denial,  and  who  want  to  offer  God  only 
that  which  costs  nothing. 

FiNAULy. — If  they  mean  to  be  blessed,  let  them  do  their 
duty,  do  all  their  duty,  put  slioulder  to  the  wheel,  gird  on 
the  Gospel  annor,  and  come  up  to  the  work.  Then,  if  the 
chuich  is  in  the,  fields  the  car  of  salvation  will  move  on,  thougit. 
all  hell  oppose,  and  sinners  will  be  converted  and  saved.  Bu'" 
if  a  chui'ch  ^ill  give  up  all  the  labor  to  the  muiister,  and  sf ' 
still  and  look  on,  while  he  Is  laboring,  and  themselves  do 
nothing  but  complain  of  liim,  they  will  not  only  fail  of  a  re 
vival  of  religion,  out  if  they  continue  slothful  and  censorioua^ 
will  by  and  by  find  themselves  in  hell  for  theii*  disobedienoa 
wid  unprofitableness  in  the  service  of  Christ 


LECTUEE   XIT 

MEASUEES   TO   PEOMOTE   ^EVIVAIiS. 

T»XT,—TheBe  men,  being  Jews,  do  exceedingly  trouble  onr  city,  and  teach  ce* 
tome  which  are  not  lawful  for  us  to  receive,  neither  to  observe,  being  Romans.— 
A.OTB  xvi.  30,  21. 

"  These  men,"  here  spoken  o^  were  Paul  and  Silas,  who 
went  to  Philippi  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  very  much  dis- 
turbed the  people  of  that  city,  because  they  supposed  the 
preaching  would  interfere  with  their  worldly  gains.  And  so 
they  arraigned  the  preachers  of  the  Gospel  before  the  magis- 
trates of  the  city,  as  culprits,  and  charged  them  with  teach- 
ing doctrines,  ajid  especially  employing  measures,  that  were 
not  lawful 

Ip.  discoursing  from  these  words  I  design  to  show, 

L  That  under  the  Gospel  dispensation,  God  has  established 
no  partwidar  system  of  measures  to  be  employed  and  invai'iably 
adhered  to  in  promoting  rehgion. 

n.  To  show  that  our  present  forms  of  public  worship,  and 
everything,  so  far  as  measures  are  concerned,  have  been  arrived 
at  by  degrees,  and  by  a  SKCcession  of  New  Measures, 

L  I  am  to  show  that  under  the  Gospel,  God  has  established 
no  particular  measures  to  be  used. 

Under  the  Jewish  dispensation,  there  were  particular  forms 
enjoined  and  prescribed  by  God  himself,  from  which  it  was 
not  lawful  to  depart.  But  these  forms  were  all  typical,  and 
were  designed  to  shadow  forth  Christ,  or  something  con- 
nected with  the  new  dispensation  that  Christ  was  to  intro 
duce.  And  therefore  they  were  fixed,  and  all  their  details 
particularly  prescribed  by  Divine  authority.  But  it  wa^  never 
80  under  the  GosjoeL  When  Christ  came,  the  ceremonial  or 
typical  dispensation  was  abrogated,  because  the  design  of 
those  forms  was  fulfilled,  and  therefore  themselves  of  no 
further  usa  He,  being  the  antitype,  the  types  were  of  course 
done  away  at  his  coming.  THE  GOSPEL  was  then  preached 
as  the  appointed  means  of  promoting  religion  ;  and  it  was 
left  to  the  discretion  of  the  church  to  determine,  from  time 
to  time,  what  m£asures  shall  be  adopted,  and  what  forms  inir- 
ftu^  in  giving  the  Gospel  its  power.     We  aie  Jeft  in  the 


KXA.aimxs  TO  pbomote  reyivaim,  239 

dark  as  to  the  measiires  which  were  pursued  by  the  apostlea 
and  primitive  preachers,  except  so  far  as  we  can  gather  it 
trom  occasional  hints  in  the  book  of  Acta  We  do  not  know 
how  many  times  they  sung  and  how  many  times  they  prayed 
in  pubhc  worship,  nor  even  whether  they  sung  or  prayed  at 
all  in  their  ordinary  meetings  for  preaching.  When  Jesus 
Christ  was  on  earth,  laboring  aonong  his  disciples,  he  had  no- 
thing to  do  with  forms  or  measures.  He  did  from  time  to 
time  in  this  respect  just  as  it  would  be  natural  for  any  man 
to  do  in  such  cases,  without  anything  like  a  set  form  or  mode 
of  doing  it  The  Jews  accused  hi  in  of  disregarding  their 
forms.  His  object  was  to  preach  and  teach  mankind  the 
true  religion.  And  when  the  apostles  preached  afterwards, 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven,  we  hear  nothing 
about  their  having  a  particular  system  of  measures  to  carry 
on  their  work,  or  one  apostle  doing  a  thing  in  a  particular 
way  because  others  did  it  in  that  way.  Their  commission 
was,  "  Go  and  preach  the  Gospel,  and  disciple  all  nations." 
It  did  not  prescribe  any  forms.  It  did  not  admit  any.  No 
person  can  pretend  to  get  any  set  of  forms  or  particular  direo 
tions  as  to  measures,  out  of  this  commission.  Do  it — the 
best  way  you  can — ask  wisdom  from  God — use  the  faculties 
he  has  given  you — seek  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost — go 
forward  and  do  it  This  was  their  commission.  And  their 
object  was  to  m:ike  known  the  Gospel  in  the  most  effectual 
way^  to  make  the  truth  stand  out  strikingly,  so  as  to  obtain 
the  attention  and  secure  the  obedience  of  the  greatest  num 
ber  possible.  No  person  can  find  any  fonn  of  doing  this 
laid  down  in  the  Bibla  It  is  preaching  tJie  Gospel  that  stands 
out  prominently  there  as  the  great  thing.  The  form  is  left 
out  of  the  question. 

It  is  manifest,  that,  in  preaching  the  Gospel,  there  must  be 
9ome  kind  of  measures  adopted.  The  Gt)spel  must  be  gotteii 
before  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  measures  must  be  takeii 
so  that  they  can  hear  it,  and  to  induce  them  to  attend  to  it 
This  is  done  by  building  churches,  holding  stated  or  other 
meetings,  and  so  on.  Without  some  measures,  it  can  never 
be  made  to  take  effect  among  men. 

n.  I  am  to  show  that  our  present  forms  of  public  worshqjv 
and  ever^iihing,  so  far  as  measures  are  concerned,  have  been 
arrived  at  by  degrees,  and  by  a  succession  of  New  Measures, 

1.  I  will  mention  some  things  in  regard  to  the  ministry. 

Many  years  ago,  ministers  were  accustomed  to  wear  a/)€ct<- 
lirar  habit.  It  is  so  now  in  Catholic  countries.  1\  used  to  be 
■o  here.     Ministers  had  a  pecuHar  dress  as  much  as  soldiers 


240  MBASURES    TO    PfiOMOTE    HETIVALS. 

They  used  to  wear  a  cocked  hat,  and  bands  instead  of  a 
ci*avat  or  stock,  and  small  clothes,  and  a  wig.  No  matter 
how  much  hair  a  man  had  on  his  head,  he  must  cut  it  off  and 
wear  a  wig.  And  then  he  must  wear  a  go^vn.  All  these 
things  were  customary,  and  eveiy  clergyman  was  held  bound 
to  wear  them,  and  it  was  not  considered  proper  for  him  to 
officiate  without  them.  All  these  had  doubtless  been  intro- 
duced by  a  succession  of  innovations,  for  we  have  no  good 
reason  for  beheviug  that  the  apostles  and  piimitive  ministers 
dressed  differently  from  other  men. 

But  now  ail  these  things  have  been  given  up,  one  by  one, 
by  a  succession  of  innovations  or  new  measures,  until  now  in 
many  churches  a  minister  can  go  into  the  pulpit  and  preach 
without  beiug  noticed,  although  dressed  like  any  other  man. 
And  when  it  was  done  in  regard  to  each  one  of  them,  the 
church  complained  as  much  as  if  it  had  been  a  Divine  iosti- 
tution  given  up.  It  was  denounced  as  an  innovalixm.  When 
ministers  began  to  lay  aside  their  cocked  hats,  and  wear  hats 
like  other  men,  it  grieved  the  elderly  people  very  much  ;  it 
looked  so  "  undignified,"  they  said,  for  a  muiister  to  wear  a 
roimd  hai  When,  lq  1827  I  wore  a  fur  cap,  a  minister  said, 
"  that  was  too  bad  for  a  minister." 

When  ministers  first  began,  a  few  years  since,  to  wear  white 
hats,  it  was  thought  by  many  to  be  a  sad  and  very  undignified 
innovation.  And  even  now,  they  are  so  bigoted  in  some 
places,  that  a  clergyman  told  me  but  a  few  days  siuce,  in 
travelliQg  through  New  England  last  summer  mth  a  white 
hat,  he  could  perceive  that  it  injured  his  influence.  This 
spirit  should  not  be  looked  upon  as  harmless  ;  I  have  good 
reason  to  know  that  it  is  not  harmless.  Thinking  men  see  it 
to  be  mere  bigotry,  and  are  exceedingly  in  danger  of  viewing 
everytliiug  about  rehgion  in  the  same  hght  on  this  account. 
This  has  been  the  result  in  many  instances.  There  is  at 
this  day  scarcely  a  minister  in  the  land  who  does  not  feel 
himself  obhged  to  wear  a  black  coat,  as  much  as  if  it  were  a 
divine  institution.  The  church  is  yet  filled  with  a  kind  of 
Buperstitious  reverence  for  such  things.  This  is  a  great 
stumbhng  block  to  many  minds. 

So,  in  like  manner,  when  ministers  laid  aside  their  bands, 
»nd  wore  cravats  or  stocks,  it  was  said  they  were  becoming 
secular,  and  many  found  fault.  Even  now,  in  some  places,  a 
muiister  would  not  dare  not  be  seen  in  the  pulpit  in  a  cravat 
or  stock.  The  people  would  feel  as  if  they  had  no  clergyman, 
if  he  had  no  bands.  A  minister  m  this  city  asked  another, 
but  tt  few  days  since,  if  it  would  do  to  wear  a  black  stock  iu 


MEA8UEEB    TO    PBOMOTE    REVIYAL8.  241 

the  piilpit.  He  wore  one  in  his  ordinary  intercourse  with  hia 
people,  but  doubted  whether  it  would  do  to  wear  it  in  the 
pulpit 

So  in  regard  to  shoii  clothes  ;  they  used  to  be  thought 
essential  to  the  ministerial  character.  Even  now,  in  Cathohc 
countiies,  every  priest  wears  small  clothes.  Even  the  httle 
boys  there,  who  ai'e  trauiing  for  the  priest's  office,  wear  their 
cocked  hats,  and  black  stockings,  and  small  clothes.  This 
wouid  look  richculous  amongst  us.  But  it  ased  to  be  prac- 
tised in  this  country.  The  time  was  when  good  people 
would  have  been  shocked  if  a  minister  had  gone  into  the 
pulpit  with  pantaloons  on.  They  would  have  thought  he  wa? 
certainly  goiog  to  ruin  the^fchui'ch  by  his  innovations.  I 
have  been  told  that  some  years  ago,  in  New  England,  a  cer 
tain  elderly  clergyman  was  so  opposed  to  the  new  measure 
of  a  minister's  wearing  pantaloons,  that  he  would  on  no  ao- 
coimt  allow  them  in  his  pulpit  A  young  man  was  going  to 
preach  for  him,  who  had  no  small  clothes,  and  the  old  minia- 
ter  would  not  let  him  officiate  in  pantaloons.  "Why,"  said 
he,  "  my  people  would  think  I  had  brought  a  fop  into  the  pul- 
pit, to  see  a  man  there  with  pantaloons  on,  and  it  would  produce 
an  excitement  among  them."  And  so,  finally,  the  young  man 
was  obliged  to  borrow  a  pair  of  the  old  gentleman's  clothes, 
and  they  were  too  short  for  him,  and  made  a  ridiculous  figure 
enough.  But  anything  was  better  than  such  a  terrible  inno- 
vation as  preaching  in  pantaloons.    But  reason  has  triumphed. 

Just  so  it  was  in  regard  to  imgs.  I  remember  one  minister, 
who,  though  quite  a  young  man,  used  to  w^ear  an  enormous 
white  wig.  And  the  people  talked  as  if  there  was  a  divine 
nght  about  it,  and  it  was  as  hard  to  give  it  up,  almost,  as  to 
give  up  the  Bible  itsell  Gowns  also  were  considered  essential 
to  the  ministerial  character.  And  even  now,  in  many  congre- 
gations in  this  country,  the  people  will  not  tolerate  a  minister 
in  the  pulpit,  unless  he  has  a  flowing  silk  gown,  with  enoi> 
mous  sleeves  as  big  as  his  body.  Even  ia  some  of  the  CJon- 
gregationjd  Churches  in  New  England,  they  cannot  bear  to 
give  it  up.  Now,  how  came  people  to  suppose  a  miuister 
must  have  a  gown  or  a  wig,  in  order  to  preach  with  effect  ? 
Why  was  it  that  every  clerg}^man  was  held  obhged  to  use  these 
things?  How  is  it  that  not  one  of  these  things  have  been 
given  up  in  the  churches,  without  producing  a  shock  among 
them  ?  They  have  all  been  given  up,  one  by  one,  and  many 
congTegations  have  been  distracted  for  a  time  by  the  inno- 
vation. But  will  any  one  pretend  that  the  cause  of  religion 
hufi  been  injured  by  it  ?  People  felt  as  if  they  could  haxdly 
U 


248  MEASURES    TO   PROMOTE    REVIVALS. 

worship  God  without  them,  but  plainly  their  attachment  to 
them  was  no  part  of  their  reUgion,  that  is,  no  part  of  the 
Christian  rehgion.  It  was  mere  superstition.  And  when 
these  things  were  taken  away  they  complained,  as  Micah  did, 
"  Ye  have  taken  away  my  gods."  But  no  doubt  their  rehgious 
character  was  improved,  by  removing  these  objects  of  super- 
stitious reverence.  So  that  the  church,  on  the  whole,  has 
been  greatly  the  gainer  by  the  ionovations.  Thus  you  see  that 
the  present  mode  of  a  minister's  dress  has  been  gained  by  a 
series  of  new  measures. 

2.  In  regard  to  the  order  of  public  worship. 

The  same  difficulties  have  been  met  iu  effectiog  every 
change,  because  the  church  ha^  felt  as  if  God  had  establish- 
ed just  the  mode  which  they  were  used  to. 

(1.)  Psalm  Books.  Formerly  it  was  customary  to  mug 
DaAdd's  Psalms.  By-and-by  there  was  introduced  a  version 
of  the  Psalms  in  rhyme.  This  was  very  bad,  to  be  sure. 
When  ministers  tried  to  introduce  them,  the  churches  were 
distracted,  people  violently  opposed,  and  great  trouble  was 
created  by  the  innovation.     But  the  new  measure  triumphed. 

Afterwards  another  version  was  brought  forward  in  a  bet- 
ter style  of  poetry,  and  its  iutroduction  was  opposed  with 
much  contention,  as  a  new  measure.  And  finally  Watts's  vei> 
sion,  which  is  still  opposed  in  many  churchea  No  longer  ago 
than  1828,  when  I  was  iu  Philadelphia,  I  was  told  that  a 
minister  there  was  preaching  a  course  cf  lectures  on  psalmody 
to  his  congregation,  for  the  purpose  of  briugiag  them  to  use 
a  better  version  of  psalms  and  hymns  than  the  one  they  were 
accustomed  to.  And  even  now,  in  a  great  many  congrega- 
tions, there  are  people  who  will  go  out  of  church,  if  a  psalm 
or  hymn  is  given  out  from  a  new  book.  And  if  Watts's 
Psalms  should  be  adopted,  they  would  secede  and  form  a  new 
congregation,  rather  than  tolerate  such  an  innovation.  The 
same  sort  of  feeling  has  been  excited  by  introducing  the 
*  Village  Hymns"  in  prayer  meetings.  In  one  Presbyterian 
congregation  in  this  city,  within  a  few  years,  the  minister's 
wife  wished  to  introduce  the  Village  Hymns  into  the  female 
prayer  meetings,  not  daring  to  go  any  further.  She  thought 
she  was  going  to  succeed.  But  some  of  the  careful  souls 
found  out  that  it  was  made  in  New  England,  and  refused  to 
admit  it.     "  It  is  a  Hopldnsian  thing,  I  dare  say." 

(2.)  lAning  the  Hymns,  Formerly,  when  there  were  but 
few  books,  it  was  the  custom  to  line  the  hymns,  as  it  was 
called,  llie  deacon  used  to  stand  up  before  the  pulpit,  and 
read  o£f  the  psalm  or  hymn,  a  line  at  a  time,  or  two  hnes  at  a 


irCABUBBS   TO    PBOMOTIE    BimYALa.  S4t 

dmo,  and  then  ging,  and  the  rest  would  all  fall  in.  By-and-by, 
they  began  to  introduce  books,  and  let  every  one  sing  from 
his  book.  And  what  an  innovation !  AJas,  what  confusion 
and  disorder  it  made  I  How  could  the  good  people  worship 
God  in  singing,  without  having  the  deacon  to  line  off  the 
hymn  in  his  holy  tone,  for  the  holiness  of  it  seemed  to  con- 
sist very  much  in  the  tone,  which  was  such  that  you  could 
hardly  tell  whether  he  was  reading  or  singing. 

(3.)  Choirs.  Afterwards  another  innovation  was  carried. 
It  was  thought  best  to  have  a  select  choir  of  singers  sit  by 
themselves  and  sing,  so  as  to  give  an  opportunity  to  improve 
the  music.  But  this  was  bitterly  opposed.  Oh  how  many  con 
gregations  were  torn  and  rent  in  sunder,  by  the  desire  of  min- 
isters and  some  leading  individuals  to  bring  about  an  improve- 
ment in  the  cultivation  of  music,  by  forming  choirs  of  singers. 
People  talked  about  innovations  and  new  measures,  and 
thought  gi-eat  evils  were  coming  to  the  churches,  because  the 
singers  were  seated  by  themselves,  and  cultivated  music,  and 
learned  new  tunes  that  the  old  people  could  not  sing.  It  did 
not  use  to  be  so  when  they  were  young,  and  tliey  would  not 
tolerate  such  new  lights  and  novelties  in  the  church. 

(4.)  Fitchjnpes,  When  music  was  cultivated,  and  choirs 
seated  together,  then  the  singers  wanted  a  pitchpipa  Foi> 
merly,  when  the  lines  were  given  out  by  the  deacon  or  clerk, 
he  would  strike  off  into  the  tune,  and  the  rest  would  follow  as 
well  as  they  could.  But  when  the  leaders  of  choirs  begun  to 
use  pitchpipes  for  the  purpose  of  pitching  all  their  voices  on 
pi-ecisely  the  same  key,  what  vast  confusion  it  made !  I  heard 
a  clergyman  say  that  an  elder  in  the  town  where  he  used  to 
live,  would  get  up  and  leave  the  house  whenever  he  heard  the 
chorister  blow  his  pipe.  "  Away  with  your  whistle,"  said  he. 
**  What  I  whistle  in  the  house  of  God  I "  He  thought  it  a 
profanation. 

(5.)  Tiistrumental  Music.  By  and  by,  in  some  congregations, 
various  instruments  were  introduced  for  the  purpose  of  aid- 
ing the  singers,  and  improving  the  music  "WTien  the  bass 
viol  was  first  introduced,  it  made  a  great  commotion-  People 
insisted  they  might  just  as  well  have  a  fiddle  in  the  house  of 
God-  "  Why,  it  is  &  fiddle,  it  is  made  just  like  a  fiddle,  only  a 
little  larger,  and  who  can  worship  where  there  is  a  fiddle  ? 
By  and  by  you  will  want  to  dance  in  the  meeting  housa** 
Who  has  not  heard  these  things  talked  of,  as  matters  of  the 
most  vital  importance  to  the  cause  of  rehgion  and  the  purity 
^t  ^h^  church?  Ministers,  in  grave  ecclesiastical  assembUes, 
;a&ve  spent  days  in  discussing  them,     in  a  synod  in  the  Pre» 


344  MEASUBKS   TO   PROMOTE   REVIVALS. 

byterian  church,  only  a  few  years  ago,  it  was  seriously  talked 
of  by  some,  as  a  matter  worthy  of  discipline  in  a  certain 
ihurch,  that  they  had  an  organ  in  the  house  Of  God.  This 
(vithin  a  few  years.  And  there  are  many  churches  now  who 
would  not  tolerate  an  organ.  They  would  not  be  half  so  much 
excited  to  be  told  that  sinners  are  going  to  hell,  as  to  be  told 
that  there  is  going  to  be  an  organ  in  the  meeting  house.  Oh, 
in  how  many  places  can  you  get  the  church  to  do  anything 
else,  easier  than  to  come  along  in  an  easy  and  natural  way  to 
do  what  is  needed,  and  wisest,  and  best,  for  promoting  reUg- 
ion  and  saving  souls.  They  act  as  if  they  had  a  "  Thus  saith 
the  Lord  "  for  every  custom  and  practice  that  has  been  hand- 
ed down  to  them,  or  that  they  have  long  followed  themselves, 
however  absurd  or  injurious. 

( 6. )  Extemporary  Prayers,  How  many  people  are  there,  who 
talk  just  as  if  the  Prayer  Book  was  of  divine  institution !  And 
I  suppose  multitudes  beheve  it  is.  And  in  some  parts  of  the 
church  a  man  would  not  be  allowed  to  pray  without  his  book 
before  him. 

(7.)  Preaching  without  rwtes.  A  few  years  since,  a  lady  in 
"Philadelphia  was  invited  to  hear  a  certain  minister  pr^ch, 
and  she  refused,  because  he  did  not  read  his  sermons.  She 
seemed  to  think  it  would  be  profane  for  a  man  to  go  into  the 
pulpit  and  talk,  just  as  if  he  was  talking  to  the  people  about 
some  interesting  and  important  subject  As  if  God  had 
enjoined  the  use  of  notes  and  written  sermons.  They  do  not 
know  that  notes  themselves  are  an  innovation,  and  a  modem 
one  too.  They  were  introduced  in  a  time  of  political  difficul- 
ties in  England.  The  ministers  were  afi'aid  they  should  be 
accused  of  preaching  something  against  the  government,  un- 
less they  could  show  what  they  had  preached,  by  having  aU 
written  down  beforehand.  And  with  a  time-serving  spirit, 
they  yielded  to  political  considerations,  and  imposed  a  yoke 
of  bondage  upon  the  chui'ch.  And,  now  in  many  places,  they 
cannot  tolerate  extempore  preaching. 

(8. )  Kneeling  in  Prayer.  This  has  made  a  great  disturbance 
in  many  parts  of  the  country.  The  time  has  been  in  the  Con- 
gregational churches  in  New  England,  when  a  man  or  woman 
would  be  ashamed  to  be  seen  kneeling  at  a  prayer  meeting, 
for  fear  of  being  taken  for  a  Methodist.  I  have  prayed  in 
famihes  where  I  was  the  only  person  that  would  kneel.  The 
others  aU  stood,  lest  they  should  imitate  the  Methodists,  I 
supx)ose,  and  thus  countenance  innovations  upon  the  estab- 
ti^ed  form.  Others,  again,  talk  as  if  there  was  no  other  j)08> 
ture  but  kneeling,  that  could  be  acce])table  in  prayer. 


MICAS  cTBES   TO    PROMOTE    BSYIYAUL  i4i 

3.  Labors  of  Tjaymen. 

(1.)  Lay  Prayers.  Much  objection  was  formerly  made 
agtiinst  allowing  any  man  to  pray  or  to  take  a  part  in  mana» 
ing  a  prayer  meeting,  unless  he  was  a  clergyman.  It  used  to 
be  said  that  for  a  layman  to  pray  in  public,  was  interfering 
with  the  dignity  of  ministers,  and  was  not  to  be  tolerated  A 
minister  in  Pennsylvania  told  me  that,  a  few  years  ago,  he  ap- 
pointed a  prayer  meeting  in  the  church,  and  the  elders  oppos- 
ed it  and  turned  it  out  of  the  house.  They  said  they  would 
not  have  such  work,  they  had  hired  a  minister  to  do  the  pray- 
ing, and  he  should  do  it,  and  they  were  not  going  to  have 
common  men  praying. 

Illinisters  and  many  others  have  very  extensively  objected 
to  a  layman's  praying  in  pubhc,  and  especially  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  minister.  That  would  let  down  the  authority  of  the 
clergy,  and  was  not  to  be  tolerated  At  a  synod  held  in  this  State, 
there  was  a  sjTiodical  prayer  meeting  appointed  The  com- 
mittee of  arrangements,  as  it  was  to  be  a  formal  thing,  desig- 
nated beforehand  the  persons  who  were  to  take  a  part,  and 
named  two  clergymen  and  one  layman-  The  layman  was  a 
man  of  talents  and  information  equal  to  most  ministers.  But 
on^octor  of  divinity  got  up  and  seriously  objected  to  a  lay- 
man's being  asked  to  pray  before  that  synod  It  was  not 
usual,  he  said  ;  it  infringed  upon  the  rights  of  the  clergy,  and 
he  wished  no  innovationa     What  a  state  of  things ! 

(2.)  Lay  exhortation.  This  has  been  made  a  question  of 
vast  impoi-tance,  one  which  has  agitated  all  New  England, 
and  many  other  parts  of  the  country,  whether  laymen  ought 
to  be  allowed  to  exhort  in  pubhc  meetings.  Many  ministers 
have  labored  to  shut  up  the  mouths  of  laymen  entirely.  They 
overlooked  the  practice  of  the  primitive  churchea  So  much 
opposition  was  made  to  tliis  practice  nearly  a  hundred  years 
ago,  that  President  Edwards  actually  had  to  take  up  the  sub- 
ject, and  write  a  labored  defence  of  the  rights  and  duties  of 
laymen.  But  the  opposition  has  not  entirely  ceased  to  this 
day.  "  What !  A  man  that  is  not  a  minister,  te  talk  in  pub- 
lic !  it  win  create  confusion,  it  will  let  down  the  ministry ; 
what  win  people  think  of  us,  ministers,  if  we  allow  common 
men  to  do  the  same  tlungs  that  lye  do  ?  "     Astonishing  1 

But  now,  all  these  things  are  gone  by,  in  most  places,  and 
laymen  can  pray  and  exhort  without  the  leas-t  objection.  The 
evils  that  were  feared,  from  the  labors  of  lajTnen,  have  not 
been  realized,  and  many  ministers  are  glad  to  have  them  ex- 
ercise their  gifts  in  doing  good 
^ifc.  Femoie  Prayer  Meetings.      Within   the  last  few  years, 


340  MEAfiUBES   TO   PROMOTE   BEYIYALA, 

female  prayer  meetings  have  been  exten^vvely  opposed  in  thii 
State.  Wliat  di-eadful  things  I  A  minister,  now  dead,  said  that 
when  he  first  attempted  to  estabhsh  these  meetings,  he  had 
all  the  clergy  around  opposed  to  him.  "  Set  women  to  pray- 
ing ?  Why,  the  next  thmg,  I  suppose,  wOl  be  to  set  them  to 
preaching."  And  serious  apprehensions  were  entertained  for 
the  safety  of  Zion,  if  women  should  be  allowed  to  get  together 
to  pray.  Aud  even  now,  they  are  not  tolerated  in  some 
churches. 

So  it  has  been  in  regard  to  all  the  active  movements  of  the 
church.  IMissions,  Simday  Schools,  and  everything  of  the 
kind,  have  been  opposed,  and  have  gained  their  present  hold 
in  the  church  only  by  a  succession  of  struggles  and  a  series 
of  innovations.  A  Baptist  Association  in  Pennsylvania,  some 
years  since,  disclaimed  all  fellowship  with  any  minister  that 
had  been  liberally  educated,  or  that  supported  Missions,  Bible 
Societies,  Sabbath  Schools,  Temperance  Societies,  etc  All 
these  were  denounced  as  New  Measures,  not  found  in  the 
Bible,  and  that  would  necessarily  lead  to  distraction  and  con- 
fusion in  the  churchea  The  same  thing  has  been  done  by 
some  among  the  German  churches.  '  And  in  many  Presbvter- 
ian  churches,  there  are  found  those  who  will  take  the  &n« 
ground,  and  denounce  all  these  things,  with  the  exception, 
perhaps,  of  an  educated  ministry,  as  innovations,  new  meas- 
ures, new  lights,  going  in  their  own  strength,  and  the  like,  and 
as  calculated  to  do  great  evil 

5.  I  wiU  mention  several  men  who  have  in  Divine  providence 
been  set  forward  as  prominent  in  introditci7ig  these  irmovO' 
turns. 

(1.)  The  apostteswere  great  innovators,  as  you  all  know. 
After  the  resurrection,  and  after  the  Holy  Spirit  was  poured 
out  upon  them,  they  set  out  to  remodel  the  church.  They 
broke  down  the  Jewish  system  of  measures  and  rooted  it  out^ 
so  as  to  leave  scarcely  a  vestiga 

(2.)  Luther  and  the  Reformers.  You  all  know  what  difficul- 
ties they  had  to  contend  with,  and  the  reason  was,  that  they 
were  trying  to  introduce  new  measures — ^new  modes  of  per- 
forming the  public  duties  of  religion,  and  new  expedients  to 
bring  the  Gospel  with  power  to  the  hearts  of  men.  All  the 
strange  and  ridiculous  things  of  the  Roman  Catholics  were 
held  to  in  the  church  with  pertinacious  obstinacy,  as  if  they 
were  of  Divine  authority.  And  such  an  excitement  was  raised 
by  the  attempt  to  change  them,  as  well  nigh  involved  all  Eu' 
rope  in  blood 

(8. )   Wesley  and  his  coac^viors,    Wesley  did  not  at  first  t&a 


MEASUBBS   TO    PBOMOTB    BEVIYALS.  949 

off  from  the  Established  Church  in  England,  but  formed  little 
classes  everywhere,  that  grew  into  a  church  within  a  church. 
He  remained  in  the  Episcopal  church,  but  he  introduced  so 
much  of  new  measures,  as  to  fill  all  England  with  excitement 
and  uproar  and  opposition,  and  he  was  everywhere  denounced 
as  an  innovator  and  a  stirrer  up  of  sedition,  and  a  teacher  of 
new  tilings  which  it  was  not  lawful  to  receive. 

Whitefield  was  a  man  of  the  same  school,  and  Hke  Wesley 
was  an  innovator.  I  believe  he  and  several  individuals  of  his 
associates  were  expelled  from  college  for  getting  up  such  a  new 
measure,  as  a  social  prayer  meeting.  They  would  pray  to- 
gether and  expound  the  Scriptures,  and  this  was  such  a  dar- 
ing novelty  that  it  could  not  be  borne.  When  Whitefield  came 
to  this  country,  what  an  astonishing  opposition  was  raised  1 
Often  he  well  nigh  lost  his  life,  and  barely  escaped  by  the  skin 
of  his  teeth.  Now  everybody  looks  upon  him  as  the  glory  of 
the  age  in  which  he  lived.  And  many  of  our  own  denominar 
tion  have  so  far  divested  themselves  of  prejudice  as  to  think 
Wesley  not  only  a  good  but  a  wise  and  pre-eminently  useful 
man.  Then  almost  the  entire  church  viewed  him  with  ani- 
mosity, fearing  that  the  innovations  he  introduced  would 
destroy  the  church. 

(4.)  President  Edwards.  This  gi'eat  man  was  famous  in 
his  day  for  new  measures.  Among  other  innovations,  he 
refused  to  baptize  the  children  of  impenitent  parents.  The 
practice  of  baptizing  the  children  of  the  imgodly  had  been 
introduced  in  the  New  England  churches  in  the  preceding 
century,  and  had  become  nearly  universal  President  Ed- 
wards saw  that  the  practice  was  wrong,  and  he  refused  to  do 
it,  and  the  refusal  shook  all  the  churches  of  New  England- 
A  hundred  ministers  joined  and  determined  to  put  him 
down.  He  wrote  a  book  on  the  subject,  and  defeated 
them  all.  It  produced  one  of  the  greatest  excitements  there 
ever  was  in  New  England.  Nothing,  unless  it  was  the  Bevo 
hitionary  War,  ever  produced  an  equal  exdtemeni 

The  General  Association  of  Connecticut  refused  to  counte* 
nance  Whitefield,  he  was  such  an  innovator.  "  Why,  he  will 
preach  out  of  doors,  and  anywhere  !"  Awful  1  What  a  terri- 
ble thing,  that  a  man  should  preach  in  the  fields  or  in  the 
Bta*eets.     Cast  him  out 

All  these  were  devoted  men,  seeking  out  ways  to  do  good  and 
save  souls.  And  precisely  the  same  kind  of  opposition  was  ex- 
perienced by  all  the  ecclesiastical  bodies,  obstructing  their  path 
and  trying  to  destroy  their  character  and  influence.  A  book^  now 
flxtant^  wafi  written  in  President  Edwards'  time,  by  a  doctor  of 


t48  MEASUBES    TO    PROMOTE   RKV1TAI3. 

divinity,  and  signed  by  a  multitude  of  ministers,  against 
Wliiteiield  and  Edwards,  tlieir  associates  and  their  measures. 
A  letter  was  published  in  this  city  by  a  minister  against 
Whitefield,  which  brought  up  the  same  objections  against 
innovations  that  we  hear  now.  In  the  time  of  the  late  oppo- 
sition to  revivals  in  the  State  of  New  York,  a  copy  of  this 
letter  was  taken  to  the  editor  of  a  religious  periodical  with  a 
request  that  he  would  pubhsh  it.  He  refused,  and  gave  for  a 
reason,  that  if  published,  many  would  apply  it  to  the  contro- 
versy that  is  going  on  now.  I  mention  it  merely  to  show 
how  identical  is  the  opposition  that  is  raised  in  different 
ages  against  all  new  measures  designed  to  advance  the  cause 
of  rehgion. 

6.  In  the  present  generation,  many  things  have  been  in- 
troduced which  have  proved  useful,  but  have  been  opposed 
on  the  ground  that  they  were  innovations.  And  as  many  are 
still  unsettled  in  regard  to  them,  I  have  thought  it  best  to 
make  some  remarks  concemiug  them.  There  are  three 
things  in  particular  which  have  chiefly  attracted  remark,  and 
therefore  I  shall  speak  of  them.  They  are  Anxinus  Meetings, 
Protracted  Meetings,  and  the  Anxious  Seat.  These  are  all  op- 
posed, and  are  called  new  measures. 

(1.)  Anxious  Meetings.  The  first  that  I  ever  heard  of  under 
that  name,  was  in  New  England,  where  they  were  appointed 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  personal  conversation  with  anxious 
sinners,  and  to  adapt  instruction  to  the  cases  of  individuals, 
so  as  to  lead  them  immediately  to  Christ  The  design  of 
them  is  evidently  philosophical,  but  they  have  been  opposed 
because  they  were  new.  There  are  two  modes  of  conducting 
an  anxious  meeting,  either  of  which  may  effect  the  object  of 
them. 

(a. )  By  spending  a  few  moments  in  personal  conversation  and 
learning  the  state  of  mind  of  each  individual,  and  then  in  an 
address  to  the  whole,  take  up  all  their  errors  and  remove 
their  difficulties  together. 

(6.)  By  going  roxmd  to  each,  and  taking  up  each  individual 
case,  and  going  over  the  whole  ground  with  each  one  sep- 
arately, and  getting  them  to  promise  to  give  up  their  hearts  to 
God.  Either  way  they  are  important,  and  have  been  found 
most  successful  in  practice.  But  multitudes  have  objected 
to  them  because  they  were  new. 

(2.)  Protracted  Meetings.  These  are  not  new,  but  have  al- 
ways been  practised,  in  some  form  or  other,  ever  since  there 
was  a  church  on  earth.  The  Jevnsh  festivals  were  nothing 
slse  but  protracted  meetings.     In  regard  to  the  Ttumrwr,  they 


MEA8UB1CS    TO    PEOMOTB    RKVTYJlLA,  249 

were  conducted  differently  from  what  they  are  now.  But  the 
design  was  the  same,  to  devote  a  series  of  days  to  religious 
services,  in  order  to  make  a  more  powerful  impression  of  di- 
vine thui«^3  upon  the  minds  of  the  people.  All  denominationa 
of  Chiistians,  when  religion  prospers  among  them,  hold  pro- 
tracted meetings.  In  Scotland  they  used  to  begin  on  Thurs- 
day at  all  then'  communion  seasons,  and  continue  until  after 
the  Sabbath.  The  Episcopalians,  Baptists,  and  Methodists 
all  hold  protracted  meetings.  Yet  now  in  oiu-  day  they  have 
been  opposed,  particularly  among  Presbyterians,  and  called 
new  measures,  and  regarded  as  fraught  with  all  manner  of 
evil,  notwithstanding  they  have  been  so  manifestly  and  so  ex- 
tensively blessed.  I  will  suggest  a  few  things  that  ought  to 
be  considered  in  regard  to  them. 

(a.)  In  appointing  them,  regard  should  be  had  to  the  cir- 
cumdances  of  the  jjeople  ;  whether  the  church  are  able  to  give 
their  attention  and  devote  their  time  to  carry  on  the  meeting. 
In  some  instances  this  rule  has  been  neglected.  Some  have 
thought  it  right  to  break  in  upon  the  necessary  business  of 
the  community.  In  the  comitiy,  tliey  would  appoint  the 
meeting  in  harvest  time,  and  in  the  city  in  the  height  of  the 
business  season,  when  all  the  men  were  necessarily  occupied 
and  pressed  with  their  temporal  labors.  In  defence  of  this 
course  it  is  said  that  our  business  should  always  be  made  to 
yield  to  God's  business  ?  tliat  eternal  things  are  of  so  much 
more  unportance  than  temporal  things,  that  worldly  business 
of  any  kmd,  and  at  any  time,  should  be  made  to  yield  and  give 
place  to  a  protracted  meeting.  But  the  worldly  business  in 
which  we  are  engaged  is  not  our  business.  It  is  as  much 
Ood\  business,  and  as  much  our  duty,  as  our  prayers  and 
protracted  meetings  ara  If  we  do  not  consider  oar  business 
in  this  light,  we  have  not  yet  taken  the  first  lesson  in  re- 
ligion ;  we  have  not  learned  to  do  all  things  to  the  glory  of 
God-  With  tliis  view  of  the  subject,  separating  our  business 
from  religion,  we  are  hving  sis  days  for  ourselves,  and  the 
seventh  for  God  Real  duties  never  interfere  with  each 
OTHER.  Week  days  have  their  appropriate  duties,  and  the 
Sabbath  its  appropriate  duties,  and  we  are  to  be  equally 
pious  on  every  day  in  the  week,  and  in  the  performance 
of  the  duties  of  every  day.  We  are  to  plough,  and  sow,  and 
Bell  our  goods,  and  attend  to  our  various  callings,  with  the 
same  singleness  of  view  to  the  glory  of  God,  that  we  go  to 
church  on  the  Sabbath,  and  pray  in  our  famihes,  and  read 
our  Bibles.  This  is  a  first  principle  in  religion.  He  that 
does  not  know  and  act  on  this  principle  has  not  learned  the 


250  MBASUBBS   TO   PBOMOTB   BBYTVAIA. 

A  B  0  of  piety  as  yet.  Now  there  are  particular  seasons  oi 
the  year  in  which  God  in  his  providence  calls  upon  men  tc 
attend  to  busiuess,  because  worldly  business  at  the  time  is 
particularly  urgent,  and  must  be  done  at  that  season,  if  done 
at  all ;  seed  time  and  harvest  for  the  farmer,  and  the  busi- 
ness seasons  for  the  merchant.  And  we  have  no  right  to 
say,  in  those  particular  seasons,  that  we  will  quit  our  business 
and  have  a  protracted  meeting.  The  fact  is,  the  business  is 
not  ours.  Ajid  unless  God,  by  some  special  indication  of  his 
providence,  shows  it  to  be  his  pleasure  that  we  should  turn 
aside  and  have  a  protracted  meeting  ai  such  times,  I  look  upon 
it  as  tempting  God  to  appoint  them.  It  is  saying,  "  O  God, 
this  worldly  business  is  our  business,  and  we  are  willing  to  lay 
it  aside  for  thy  business."  Unless  God  has  indicated  it  to  be 
his  pleasure  to  pour  out  his  Spirit,  and  revive  his  work  at 
such  a  season,  and  has  thus  called  upon  his  people  to  quit,  for 
the  time  being,  their  ordinary  employments,  and  attend  espe- 
cially to  a  protracted  meeting,  it  appears  to  me  that  God 
might  say  to  us  in  such  circumstances,  "  Who  hath  required 
this  of  your  hand  ?" 

God  has  a  right  to  dispose  of  our  time  as  he  pleases,  to  re- 
quire us  to  give  up  any  portion  of  our  time,  or  all  our  time, 
to  duties  of  instruction  and  devotion.  And  when  circum- 
stances plainly  call  for  it,  it  is  our  duty  to  lay  aside  every 
other  business,  and  make  direct  and  continuous  efforts  for 
the  salvation  of  souls.  If  we  transact  our  business  upon 
right  principles,  and  from  right  motives,  and  wholly  for  the 
glory  of  God,  we  shall  never  object  to  go  aside  to  attend  a 
protracted  meeting  whenever  there  appears  to  be  a  call  for  it 
in  the  providence  of  God.  A  man  who  considers  himself  a 
steward  or  a  derk,  does  not  consider  it  a  hardship  to  rest 
from  his  labors  on  the  Sabbath,  but  a  privilege.  The  selfish 
owner  may  feel  im willing  to  suspend  his  business  on  the 
Sabbath.  But  the  clerk,  who  transacts  business  not  for  him- 
self but  for  his  employer,  considers  it  a  privilege  to  rest  upon 
the  SabbatiL  So  we,  if  we  do  our  business  for  God,  shall  not 
think  it  hard  if  he  makes  it  our  duty  to  suspend  our  worldly 
business  and  attend  a  protracted  meeting.  We  should  ratiier 
consider  it  in  the  light  of  a  hohday.  Whenever,  therefore, 
you  hear  a  man  pleading  that  he  cannot  leave  his  business  to 
attend  a  protracted  meeting — that  it  is  his  duty  to  attend  to 
business,  there  is  reason  to  fear  that  he  considers  the  business 
as  his  own,  and  the  meeting  as  God's  business.  If  he  felt 
that  the  business  of  the  store  or  farm  was  as  much  God's 
business  as  attending  a  protracted  meeting,  he  would  doubtr 


MEASUBBS   TO   PBOMOTB   SEYIYALO.  2il 

less  be  yery  willing  to  rest  from  his  worldly  toils,  and  go  up 
to  the  house  of  God  and  bo  refreshed  whenever  there  was  an 
indication,  on  the  part  of  God,  that  the  community  was  called 
to  that  work.  It  is  highly  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  Jew- 
ish festivals  were  appointed  at  those  seasons  of  the  year 
when  there  was  the  least  pressure  of  indispensable  worldly 
business. 

In  some  instances,  such  meetings  have  been  appointed  in 
the  very  pressure  of  the  business  seasons,  and  have  been  fol- 
lowed with  no  good  results,  evidently  for  the  want  of  atten- 
tion to  the  rule  here  laid  down.  In  other  cases,  meetings 
have  been  appointed  in  seasons  when  there  was  a  great 
pressure  of  worldly  business,  and  have  been  signally  blessed. 
But  in  those  cases  the  blessing  followed  because  the  meet* 
ing  was  appointed  in  obedience  to  the  indications  of  the  will 
of  God,  by  those  who  had  spiritual  discernment,  and  under- 
stood the  signs  of  the  times.  And  in  many  cases,  doubt- 
less, individuals  have  attended  who  really  supposed  them- 
selves to  be  giving  up  their  own  business,  to  attend  to  God's 
business,  and  in  such  cases  they  made  what  they  supposed 
to  be  a  real  saci'ifice,  and  God  in  mercy  granted  them  the 
blessing. 

(6.)  Ordinarily,  a  protracted  meeting  should  be  conducted 
through,  and  the  labor  chiefly  performed  by,  the  same  minister^ 
if  possible.  Sometimes  protracted  meetings  have  been  held 
and  dependence  placed  on  ministers  coming  in  from  day  to 
day.  And  they  would  have  no  blessiug.  And  the  reason 
was  obvious.  They  did  not  come  in.  a  state  of  mind  to  enter 
into  the  work,  and  they  did  not  know  the  state  of  people's 
minds,  so  as  to  know  what  to  preach.  Suppose  a  person  who 
was  sick  should  call  ra  a  different  physician  every  day.  He 
would  not  know  what  the  symptoms  had  been,  nor  what 
was  the  course  of  the  disease  or  of  the  treatment,  nor  what 
remedies  had  been  tried,  nor  what  the  patient  could  bear. 
Why,  he  would  certainly  Idll  the  patient  Just  so  in  a  pro 
tracted  meeting,  carried  on  by  a  succession  of  ministers. 
None  of  them  get  into  the  spirit  of  it,  and  generally  they  do 
more  hurt  than  good. 

A  protracted  meeting  should  not,  ordinarily,  be  appointed, 
unless  they  can  secure  the  right  kind  of  help,  and  get  a  min- 
i-M^er  or  two  who  will  agree  to  stay  on  the  ground  tiU  the 
meeting  is  done.  Then  they  will  probably  secure  a  rich 
blessing. 

(c.)  There  should  not  be  so  Tnany  public  meetings  as  to  ii> 
terfere  with  the  duties  of  the  closet  and  of  the  family.     Othei^ 


253  MEASURES   TO    PROMOTE    REVTVAIA 

wise  Cliristians  will  lose  their  spirituality  and  let  go  their  hold 
of  God,  and  the  meeting  will  run  down. 

(d.)  Families  should  not  put  themselves  out  so  much  in 
entertaining  strangers  as  to  neglect  -prayer  and  other  duties.  It 
is  often  the  case  that  when  a  protracted  meeting  is  held,  some 
of  the  principal  famihes  in  the  chm^ch,  I  mean  those  who  are 
principally  relied  on  to  sustain  the  meetings,  do  not  get  into 
the  work  at  alL  And  the  reason  is,  that  they  are  encumbered 
with  much  serving.  They  often  take  needless  trouble  to  pro- 
vide for  guests  who  come  from  a  distance  to  the  meeting,  and 
lay  themselves  out  very  foohslily  to  make  an  entertaiument, 
not  only  comfortable  but  sumptuous.  It  should  always  be 
understood  that  it  is  the  duty  of  families  to  have  as  httle 
working  and  parade  as  possible,  and  to  get  along  with  their 
hospitahty  in  the  easiest  way,  so  that  they  may  all  have  time 
to  pray,  and  go  to  the  meeting,  and  to  attend  to  the  things 
of  the  kingdom. 

(c.)  By  all  means  guard  against  unnecessarily  keeping  late 
hours.  If  people  keep  late  hours,  night  after  night,  they  will 
inevitably  wear  out  the  body,  and  their  health  will  fail,  and 
there  wiU  be  a  reaction.  They  sometimes  allow  themselves 
to  get  so  excited  as  to  lose  their  sleep,  and  become  in-egular 
in  their  meals,  till  they  break  down,  and  a  reaction  must 
coma  Unless  there  is  the  greatest  pains  taken  to  keep  regU' 
lar,  the  excitement  will  get  so  great  that  nature  will  give  way, 
and  they  nm  down,  and  the  work  stops. 

(/.)  All  sectarianism  should  be  carefully  avoided.  If  a 
sectarian  spirit  breaks  out,  either  in  the  preaching,  or  pray- 
ing, or  conversation,  it  will  counteract  all  the  good  of  the 
meeting. 

{g. )  Be  watchful  against  placing  dependence  on  a  protracted 
meeting,  as  if  that  of  itself  would  produce  a  revival.  This  is 
a  point  of  great  danger,  and  has  always  been  so.  This  is 
the  great  reason  why  the  chui'ch  in  successive  generations 
has  always  had  to  give  up  her  measures — because  Christians 
had  come  to  rely  on  them  for  success.  So  it  has  been  in  some 
places,  in  regard  to  Protracted  Meetings.  They  have  been  so 
blessed  that  in  some  places  the  people  have  thought  that  if 
they  should  only  have  a  protracted  meeting,  they  would  have 
a  blessmg,  and  sinners  would  be  converted  of'  course.  And 
so  they  have  appointed  their  meeting,  without  any  prepar- 
ation in  the  church,  and  just  sent  abroad  for  some  minister 
of  note,  and  set  him  to  preaching,  as  if  that  would  convert 
sinners.  It  is  obvious  that  the  l)lessing  would  be  wiiihheld 
from  a  meeting  got  up  in  this  way. 


MRAiiUBSS    TO    PBOMOTB    BBTITAIil.  151 

(h.)  Avoid  adopting  the  idea  that  a  revival  canuot  be  en 
joyed  without  a  Protracted  Meeting.  Some  churches  have  got 
into  a  morbid  state  of  feeling  on  this  subject.  Their  zeal 
has  become  all  spasmodic  and  feverish,  so  that  they  never 
til  ink  of  doing  an}i:hing  to  promote  a  revival,  o«/y  in  thai 
way.  When  a  protracted  meeting  is  held,  they  will  seem  to 
be  wonderfully  zealous,  and  then  sink  down  to  a  torpid  state 
till  another  protracted  meeting  produces  another  spasro.  And 
now  multitudes  in  the  chmch  think  it  is  necessary  to  give  up 
protracted  meetings  because  they  are  abused  in  this  way. 
This  ought  to  be  guarded  against,  in  every  church,  so  that 
thoy  may  not  be  driven  to  give  them  up,  and  lose  aU  the  bene- 
fits that  2^rotracted  meetings  are  calculated  to  produce. 


(3. )    The  Anxious  Seat 

By  this  I  mean  the  appointment  of  some  particular  seat  in 
the  place  of  meeting,  where  the  anxious  may  come  and  be 
addressed  particularly,  and  be  made  subjects  of  prayer,  and 
sometimes  be  conversed  with  individually.  Of  late  this 
measure  has  met  with  more  opposition  than  any  of  the 
others.  What  is  the  great  objection  ?  I  cannot  see  it  The 
iesif/n  of  the  anxious  seat  is  undoubtedly  philosophical,  and 
jkccording  to  the  laws  of  mind-     It  has  two  beaiings  : 

1.  When  a  person  is  seriously  troubled  in  mind,  ever}'- 
body  knows  that  there  is  a  powerful  tendency  to  conceai 
it  When  a  person  is  borne  down  with  a  sense  of  his 
condition,  if  you  can  get  him  willing  to  have  it  known,  if 
y>u  can  get  him  to  break  away  from  the  chains  of  pride, 
you  have  gained  an  important  point  towards  his  conver- 
sion. This  is  agreeable  to  the  philosophy  of  the  human 
mind.  And  how  many  thousands  are  there  who  will  bless 
God  to  eternity,  that  when  pressed  by  the  truth  they  were 
ever  brought  to  take  this  step,  by  which  they  tlirew  off  the 
idea  that  it  was  a  di'eadful  thing  to  have  anybody  know  tha\ 
they  were  serious  about  their  souls. 

2.  Another  bearing  of  the  anxious  seat  is  to  detect  decep- 
tion and  delasion,  and  thus  prevent  false  hopes.  It  has  been 
opposed  on  the  ground,  that  it  was  calculated  to  ci-eate  delu- 
sion and  false  hopea  But  this  objection  is  unreasonabla 
The  tnith  is  the  other  way.  Suppose  I  were  preaching  on 
the  subject  of  Temperance,  and  that  I  should  first  show  the 
evils  of  iutemperance,  and  biing  up  the  drunkiird  and  his 
family,  and  show  the  various  evils  produced,  till  every  heart 


204  MEASUBBS   TO   PBOMOTB   BBVTVAIJ}. 

is  beating  with  emotioiL  Then  I  portray  the  great  dangei 
of  moderate  drinking^  and  show  how  it  leads  to  intoxication 
and  ruin,  and  that  there  is  no  safety  but  in  TOTAJj  ABSTI 
NENCE,  till  a  hundred  hearts  are  ready  to  say,  "I  will 
never  drink  another  drop  of  ardent  spirit  in  the  world  ;  if  I 
do,  I  shall  expect  to  find  a  drunkard's  grave."  Now,  I  stop 
short,  and  let  the  pledge  be  circulated,  and  everyone  that  is 
fully  resolved  is  ready  to  sign  it.  But  how  many  will  begin 
to  draw  back  and  hesitate  when  you  begin  to  caU  on  them  to 
sign  a  pledge  of  total  abstinence.  One  says  to  himself 
"  Shall  I  sign  it  or  not  ?  I  thought  my  mind  was  made  up, 
but  this  signing  a  pledge  never  to  drink  again,  I  do  not  know 
about  that"  Thus  you  see  that  when  a  person  is  called  upon 
to  give  a  pledge,  if  he  is  found  not  to  be  decided,  he  makes  it 
m^iifest  that  he  was  not  siacere.  That  is,  he  never  came  to 
that  resolution  on  the  subject,  which  could  be  rehed  on  to 
control  his  future  Ufe.  Just  so  with  the  awakened  sinner. 
Preach  to  him,  and  at  the  moment  he  thinks  he  is  willing  to 
do  anything  ;  he  thinks  he  is  determined  to  serve  the  Lord  ; 
but  bring  him  to  the  test,  call  on  him  to  do  one  thing,  to  take 
one  step  that  shall  identify  him  with  the  people  of  God,  or 
cross  his  pride — his  pride  comes  up,  and  he  refuses  ;  his  delu- 
sion is  brought  out,  and  he  finds  himself  a  lost  sinner  still ; 
whereas,  if  you  had  not  done  it,  he  might  have  gone  away 
flattering  himself  that  he  was  a  Christian.  If  you  say  to 
him,  "  There  is  the  anxious  seat,  come  out  and  avow  your 
determination  to  be  on  the  Lord's  side,"  and  if  he  is  not 
willing  to  do  so  small  a  thing  as  that,  then  he  is  not  wilhng 
to  do  any  thing ,  and  there  he  is,  brought  out  before  his  own 
conscience.  It  uncovers  the  delusion  of  the  human  hearty 
^'  and  prevents  a  great  many  spurious  conversions,  by  showing 
those  who  might  otherwise  imagine  themselves  willing  to  do 
anything  for  Christ,  that  in  fact  they  are  willing  to  do 
nothing. 

The  church  has  always  felt  it  necessary  to  have  something 
of  the  kind  to  answer  this  very  purpose.  In  the  days  of  the 
aposties  baptism  answered  tins  purposa  The  Gospel  waa 
preached  to  the  people,  and  then  all  those  who  were  willing  to 
be  on  the  side  of  Chiist  were  called  on  to  be  baptized.  It 
held  the  precise  place  that  the  anxious  seat  does  now,  as  a 
pubhc  manifestation  of  their  determination  to  be  Christians. 
And  in  modem  times,  those  who  have  been  violently  opposed 
to  the  anxious  seat  have  been  obUged  to  adopt  some  substi- 
fcutoj  or  they  could  not  get  along  in  promoting  a  revival  Some 
have  adopted  the  expedient  of  inviting  the  people  who  wam 


1£BASUBES    TO    PROMOTE    SEYITAIJi.  S5fi 

anxionfl  for  their  souls  to  stay  for  conversation  after  the  rest 
of  the  congregation  had  retired  But  what  is  the  differ- 
ence? This  is  as  much  setting  up  a  test  as  the  other. 
Others,  who  would  be  much  ashamed  to  employ  the  anxious 
seat,  have  asked  those  who  have  any  feeling  on  the  subject  to 
sit  still  in  their  seats  when  the  rest  retu-e.  Others  have  called 
the  anxious  to  retire  into  the  lecture  room.  The  object  of 
all  these  is  the  same,  and  the  principle  is  the  same,  to  bring 
people  out  from  the  refuge  of  false  shame.  One  man  I  heard 
of  who  was  very  far  gone  in  his  opposition  to  new  measures, 
In  one  of  his  meetings  he  requested  all  those  who  were  willing 
to  submit  to  God,  or  desired  to  be  made  subjects  of  prayer, 
to  signify  it  by  leaning  forward  and  putting  their  heads  down 
upon  the  pew  before  them.  Who  does  not  see  that  this  was 
a  mere  evasion  of  the  anxious  seat,  and  that  it  was  designed 
to  answer  the  purpose  in  its  place,  and  he  adopted  this  be- 
cause he  felt  that  something  of  the  land  was  important  ? 

Now  what  objection  is  there  agaiast  taking  a  particular 
seat,  or  rimng  up,  or  going  into  the  lecture-room  ?  They  all 
mean  the  same  thing,  when  properly  conducted.  And  they 
are  not  novelties  in  principle  at  all.  The  thing  has  always 
been  done  in  substance.  In  Joshua's  ^day,  he  called  on  the 
people  to  decide  what  they  would  do,  and  they  spoke  right 
out  in  the  meeting,  "  We  will  serve  the  Lord  ;  the  Lord  our 
Ood  will  we  serve,  and  his  voice  will  we  obey." 

(jLlFwe  examine  the  history  of  the  church  we  shall  find 
that  there  never  has  been  an  extensive  reformation,  except 
by  new  measures.  Whenever  the  churches  get  settled  down 
into  a  form  of  doing  things,  they  soon  get  to  rely  upon  the 
outward  doing  of  it,  and  so  retain  the  form  of  religion  while 
they  lose  the  substance.  And  then  it  has  always  been  found 
impossible  to  arouse  them  so  as  to  bring  about  a  reformation 
of  the  evils,  and  produce  a  revival  of  rehgion,  by  simply  pur- 
suing that  established  formj  Perhaps  it  is  not  too  much  to 
say,  that  it  is  impossible  for  Grod  himself  to  bring  about  re- 
formations but  by  new  measurea  At  least,  it  is  a  fact  that 
God  has  alumys  chosen  this  way,  as  the  wisest  and  best  that 
he  could  devise  or  adopt  And  although  it  has  always  been 
the  case,  that  the  very  measures  which  God  has  chosen  to 
employ,  and  which  he  has  blessed  in  reviving  his  work,  have 
been  opposed  as  new  measures,  and  have  been  denounced, 
vet  be  has  continued  to  act  upon  the  same  principle.     When 


206  MEASURBS   TO   PEOMOTK    BKVIVAliL 

he  has  fotmd  that  a  certain  mode  has  lost  its  inflnenoe  by 
having  become  a  form,  he  brings  up  some  new  measure, 
which  will  BKEAK  IN  upon  their  lazy  habits,  and  WAKE 
UP  a  slumbering  church.     And  great  good  has  resulted- 

2.  The  same  distinctions,  in  substance,  that  now  exist, 
have  always  existed,  in  all  seasons  of  reformation  and  re- 
vival of  religion.  There  have  always  been  those  who  par- 
ticularly adhered  to  their  forms  and  notions,  and  precise 
way  of  doing  things,  as  if  they  had  a  "  Thus  saith  the 
Lord"  for  every  one  of  them.  They  have  called  those  that 
differed  *rom  them,  who  were  trying  to  roll  the  ark  of  sal- 
vation forward,  Methodists,  New  Lights,  Radicals,  New 
School,  New  Divinity,  and  various  other  opprobrious  names. 
And  the  declensions  that  have  followed  have  been  uni- 
formly owing  to  two  causes,  which  should  by  no  meaoB  he 
overlooked  by  the  chui*ch. 

(1.)  The  Old  School,  or  Old  Measure  party,  have  perse- 
vered in  their  opposition,  and  eagerly  seized  hold  of  any  real 
or  apparent  indiscretion  in  the  friends  of  the  work. 

In  such  cases,  the  churches  have  gradually  lost  their  confi- 
dence in  the  opposition  to  new  measures,  and  the  cry  of 
"New  Divinity,"  and  "Innovation"  has  ceased  to  alarm 
them.  They  see  that  the  blessing  of  God  is  with  those  thai 
are  thus  accused  of  new  measures  and  innovation,  and  the 
continued  opposition  of  the  Old  School,  together  with  the 
continued  success  of  the  New  School,  have  destroyed  their 
confidence  in  the  opposition,  and  they  get  tired  of  hearing 
the  incessant  cry  of  "New  Lights,"  and  "New  Divinity,"  and 
"New  Measures."  Thus  the  scale  has  turned,  and  the 
churches  have  pronounced  a  verdict  in  favor  of  the  New 
School,  and  of  condemnation  agaiost  the  Old  School. 

(2.)  But  now,  mark  me  :  right  here  lq  this  state  of  things, 
the  devil  has,  again  and  agaia,  taken  the  advantage,  and  lq- 
dividuals  have  risen  up,  and  beiug  sustained  by  the  confi- 
dence of  the  churches  iu  the  New  Measure  party,  and  finding- 
them  sick  of  opposition,  and  ready  to  do  anything  that  would 
promote  the  interests  of  Christ's  kingdom,  they  have  driven 
headlong  themselves,  and  in  some  instances  have  carried  th« 
churciies  into  the  very  vortex  of  those  difficulties  which  have 
been  predicted  by  their  opj)osers.  Thus,  when  the  battle 
had  been  fought,  and  the  victory  gained,  the  rash  zeal  of  somu 
well-meaning  but  headlong  individuals,  has  brought  about  a 
reaction  that  has  spread  a  pall  over  the  churches  for  years. 
This  was  the  case,  as  is  well  known,  in  the  days  of  President 
fidwai'ds.     Here  is  a  rock,  upon  which  a  light-house  is  uo^ 


ICEAAITBSS  TO   FBOMOTS   BKYITALS.  S67 

boilt,  and  upon  which  if  the  church  now  ran  aground, 
both  parties  are  entirely  without  excuse.  It  is  now  weD 
known,  or  ought  to  be  known,  that  the  declension  which  foJ- 
lowed  the  revivals  in  those  days,  together  with  the  declen 
■ions  which  have  repeatedly  occurred,  were  owing  to  the 
combined  influence  of  the  continued  and  pertinacious  oppo- 
Bition  of  the  Old  School,  and  the  ultimate  bad  spirit  and 
recklessness  of  some  individuals  of  the  New  SchooL 

And  here  the  note  of  alarm  should  be  distinctly  sounded 
to  both  parties,  lest  the  devil  should  prevail  against  us,  at 
the  very  point,  and  under  the  very  circumstances,  where  he 
has  so  often  prevailed.  Shall  the  church  never  learn  wis- 
dom from  experience  ?  How  often,  oh,  how  often  must  these 
scenes  be  acted  over  before  the  millennium  shall  come !  When 
will  it  once  be,  that  the  church  may  be  revived,  and  religion 
prevail,  without  exciting  such  opposition  in  the  churchy  as 
eventually  to  bring  about  a  reaction. 

3.  The  present  cry  against  new  measures  is  highly  ridicu- 
lous, when  we  consider  the  quarter  from  which  it  comes,  and 
all  tiie  circumstances  in  the  case.  It  is  truly  astonishing  that 
grave  ministers  should  really  feel  alarmed  at  the  new  meas- 
ures of  the  present  day,  as  if  new  measures  were  something 
new  under  the  sun,  and  as  if  the  present  form  and  manner 
of  doing  things  had  descended  from  the  apostles,  and  were 
established  by  a  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  :"  when  the  truth  is, 
that  every  step  of  the  church's  advance  from  the  gross  dark- 
ness of  Popery,  has  been  through  the  introduction  of  one 
new  measure  after  another.  We  now  look  with  astonish- 
ment, and  are  inclined  to  look  ahnost  with  contempt,  upon 
the  cry  of  "  Innovation,"  that  has  preceded  our  day  ;  and  as 
we  review  the  fears  that  multitudes  in  the  church  have  enters 
tained  in  by-gone  days  with  respect  to  innovation,  we  find  it 
difficult  to  account  for  what  appear  to  us  the  groundless  and 
absurd,  at  least,  if  not  ridiculous  objections  and  difficulties 
which  they  made.  But,  my  hearers,  is  it  not  wonderful,  that 
at  this  late  day,  after  the  church  has  had  so  much  experience 
in  these  matters,  that  grave  and  pious  men  should  seriously 
feel  alarmed  at  the  introduction  of  the  simple,  the  philoso- 
phical, and  greatly  prospered  measures  of  the  last  ten  years  ? 
As  if  new  measures  were  something  not  to  be  tolerated,  of 
highly  disastrous  tendency,  and  that  should  wake  the  notes 
and  echoes  of  alarm  in  every  nook  and  comer  of  the  church. 

4.  We  see  why  it  is  that  those  who  have  been  making  the 
ado  about  new  measures  hm^i  not  been  swxeasful  m  promoting 


956  MEA6X7BS8   TO   PBOMOTB   BEYTy.&Xjft. 

They  have  been  taken  up  with  fhe  evUs,  real  or  imaginary 
which  have  attended  this  great  and  blessed  work  of  God. 
That  there  have  been  evils,  no  one  will  pretend  to  deny.  Bui 
I  do  beheve,  that  no  revival  ever  existed  since  the  world  be- 
gan, of  so  gi-eat  power  and  extent  as  the  one  that  has  pre 
vailed  for  the  last  ten  years,  which  has  not  been  attended 
with  as  great  or  greater  evils,  Stni  a  large  portion  of  the 
church  have  been  frightening  themselves  and  others,  by  gi^^ 
ing  constant  attention  to  the  evUs  of  revivals.  One  of  the 
professors  in  a  Presbyterian  Theological  Seminary,  felt  it  his 
duty  to  write  a  series  of  letters  to  Presbyterians,  which  were 
extensively  circulated,  the  object  of  which  seemed  to  be  to 
sound  the  note  of  alarm  throughout  all  the  borders  of  the 
chui'ch,  in  regard  to  the  evils  attending  revivals.  While  men 
are  taken  up  with  the  evUs  instead  of  the  excellencies  of  a 
blessed  work  of  God,  how  can  it  be  expected  that  they  will 
be  useful  in  promoting  it  ?  I  would  spy  aU  this  in  great 
Idndness,  but  still  it  is  a  pouit  upon  which  I  must  not  be 
silent. 

5.  Without  new  measures  it  is  impossible  that  the  church 
should  succeed  m  gaining  the  attention  of  the  world  to  re- 
hgion.  There  are  so  many  exciting  subjects  constantly 
brought  before  the  pubHc  mind,  such  a  running  to  and 
fro,  so  many  that  cry  "  Lo  here,"  and  "  Lo  there,"  that  the 
church  cannot  maintain  her  ground,  cannot  command  atten- 
tion, without  very  excitiug  preaching,  and  sufficient  novelty 
in  measures,  to  get  the  pubhc  ear.  The  measures  of  politi- 
cians, of  infidels  and  heretics,  the  sci*ambhng  after  wealth, 
the  increase  of  luxury,  and  the  ten  thousand  exciting  and 
counteracting  influences  that  bear  upon  the  chiu-ch  and  upon 
the  world,  will  gaia  their  attention  and  tuni  all  men  away 
from  the  sanctuary  and  from  the  altars  of  the  Lord,  unless 
we  increase  in  wisdom  and  piety,  and  wisely  adopt  such  new 
measures  as  are  calculated  to  get  the  attention  of  men  to  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  I  have  already  said,  in  the  course  of  these 
lectures,  that  novelties  should  be  iatroduced  no  faster  than 
fchey  are  really  called  for.  They  should  be  introduced  with 
•^e  greatest  wisdom,  and  caution,  and  prayerfulness,  and  in 
a  manner  calculated  to  excite  as  littk  opposition  as  possible. 
But  new  measures  we  must  have.  And  may  God  prevent  the 
church  from  settling  down  in  any  set  of  forms,  and  getting 
the  present  or  any  other  edition  of  her  measures  stereotyped. 
^  6.  It  is  evident  that  we  must  have  more  exciting  preach- 
ing, to  meet  the  character  and  wants  of  the  age.  Iklmistera 
are  generaUy  beginning  to  find  this  out     And  some  of  them 


MKABURBS   TO   PBOMOTS    BBYTVALO.  35f 

complain  of  it,  and  suppose  it  to  be  owing  to  new  measures, 
as  they  call  them-  They  say  that  such  ministers  as  our 
fathers  would  have  been  glad  to  hear,  now  cannot  be  heard, 
cannot  get  a  settlement,  nor  collect  an  audience.  And  they 
think  that  new  measiu'es  have  perverted  the  taste  of  the 
people.  But  this  is  not  the  (hificulty.  The  character  of  the 
age  is  changed,  and  these  men  have  not  conformed  to  it,  but 
retain  the  same  stifi^  dry,  prosing  style  of  preaching  that 
answered  half  a  century  ago. 

Look  at  the  Methodists.  Many  of  their  ministers  are 
unlearned,  in  the  common  sense  of  the  term,  many  of  them 
taken  right  from  the  shop  or  the  farm,  and  yet  they  have 
gathered  congregations,  and  pushed  their  way,  and  won  souls 
everywhere.  Wherever  the  Methodists  have  gone,  their  plain, 
pointed  and  simple,  but  warm  and  animated  mode  of  preach- 
ing has  always  gathered  congregations.  Few  Presbyterian 
ministers  have  gathered  so  large  assembhes,  or  won  so  many 
souls.  Now  are  we  to  be  told  that  we  must  pursue  the  same 
old,  formal  mode  of  doing  things,  amidst  all  these  changes  ? 
As  well  might  the  North  River  be  rolled  back,  as  the  world 
converted  under  such  preaching.  Those  who  adopt  a  dif- 
ferent style  of  preaching,  as  the  Methodists  have  done,  will 
run  away  fi'om  us.  The  world  will  escape  from  under  the 
influence  of  this  old  fasliioned  or  rather  new  fashioned  minis- 
try. It  is  impossible  that  the  pubhc  mind  should  be  held 
by  such  preaching.  We  must  have  exciting,  powerful  preach- 
ing, or  the  devil  will  have  the  people,  except  what  the  Meth- 
odists can  save.  It  is  impossible  that  om-  ministers  should 
continue  to  do  good,  unless  we  have  innovations  in  regard 
to  the  style  of  preaching.  Many  ministers  are  finding  it 
out  already,  that  a  Methodist  preacher,  without  the  advant- 
ages of  a  Liberal  education,  will  draw  a  congi'egation  around 
him  which  a  Presbyterian  minister,  with  perhaps  ten  times 
as  much  learning,  cannot  equal,  because  he  has  not  the 
earnest  manner  of  the  other,  and  does  not  pour  out  fire  upon 
his  hearers  when  he  preaches. 

7.  We  see  the  importance  of  having  young  ministers  obtain 
rtght  views  of  revivals.  In  a  multitude  of  cases,  I  have  seen 
that  great  pains  are  taken  to  fi'ighten  our  yoimg  men,  who  are 
prep'tu-ing  for  the  ministry,  about  the  evils  of  revivals,  new 
measm-es,  and  the  like.  Yoimg  men  in  some  theological 
seminaries  are  taught  to  look  upon  new  measiu-es  as  if  they 
were  the  very  inventions  of  the  devil  How  can  such  men 
have  revivals.  So  when  they  come  out,  they  look  about,  and 
watch,  and  start,  as  if  the  devil  was  there.    Some  yoimg  meo 


MO  ICBASUBBS   TO   PBOMOTXE   KBYIYUJk 

in  Princeton,  a  few  years  ago,  came  out  with  an  essay  upon 
the  "evils  of  revivsds."  I  should  Hke  to  know,  now,  how 
many  of  those  young  men  have  enjoyed  revivals  among  their 
pev'ple,  since  they  have  been  in  the  ministry ;  and  if  any 
have,  I  should  like  to  know  whether  they  have  not  repented 
of  that  piece  about  the  evils  of  revivals. 

If  I  had  a  voice  so  loud  as  to  be  heard  at  Princeton,  I 
would  speak  to  those  young  men  on  this  subject  It  is  high 
time  to  talk  plainly  on  this  point  The  church  is  groaning  in 
all  her  borders  for  the  want  of  suitable  ministers.  Good 
men  are  laboring  and  are  willing  to  labor  night  and  day  to 
assist  in  educating  young  men  for  the  ministry,  to  promote 
revivals  of  religion ;  and  when  they  come  out  of  the  semi- 
nary, some  of  them  are  as  shy  of  aU  the  measures  that  God 
blesses  as  they  are  of  popery  itsell 

ShaU  it  be  so  always  ?  Must  we  educate  young  men  for  the 
ministry,  and  have  them  come  out  frightened  to  death  about 
new  measures,  as  if  there  had  never  been  any  such  thing  as 
new  measures.  They  ought  to  know  that  new  measures  are 
no  new  thing  in  the  church.  Let  them  GO  ALONG,  and 
keep  at  work  themselves,  and  not  be  fi-ightened  about  new 
measurea  I  have  been  pained  to  see  that  some  men,  in  giv- 
ing accounts  of  revivals,  have  evidently  felt  themselves 
obhged  to  be  particular  in  detailing  the  measures  used,  to 
avoid  the  inference  that  new  measures  were  introduced  ;  evi- 
dently feeling  that  even  the  church  wonlJ  undervalue  the  re- 
vival unless  it  appeared  to  have  been  promoted  without  new 
measures.  Besides,  this  caution  in  detailing  the  measures  to 
demonstrate  that  there  was  nothing  new^  looks  like  admitting 
that  new  measures  are  wrong  because  they  are  new,  and  that 
a  revival  is  more  valuable  because  it  was  not  promoted  by 
new  measures.  In  this  way,  I  apprehend  that  much  evil  has 
been  done,  already,  and  if  the  practice  is  to  continue,  it  must 
come  to  this,  that  a  revival  must  be  judged  o^  by  the  fact 
that  it  occurred  in  connection  with  new  or  old  measures.  I 
never  wiU  countenance  such  a  spirit,  nor  condescend  to  guard 
an  account  of  a  revival  against  the  imputation  of  new  or  old 
measures.  I  believe  new  measui*es  are  rights  that  is,  that  it 
is  no  objection  to  a  measure  that  it  is  new  or  old. 

Let  a  minister  enter  fully  into  his  work,  and  pour  out  hifl 
heart  to  Gt)d  for  a  blessing,  and  whenever  he  sees  the  want 
of  any  measure  to  bring  the  truth  more  xDowerfully  before 
the  minds  of  the  people,  let  him  adopt  it  and  not  be  afraid, 
and  God  will  not  withhold  his  blessing.  If  ministers  wiD 
not  go  forwai'd,  and  wiU  not  preach  the  Gospel  with  powei 


arBASURBS   TO   PROMOTE    RETTVA-Iii.  261 

and  earnestness,  and  wiD  not  tnm  out  of  their  tracks  to  do 
aiiytlmig  7iew  for  the  pur^^ose  of  saving  souls,  they  wijl  gi-ieve 
che  Holy  Spirit  away,  and  God  will  visit  them  with  his  curse, 
And  raise  up  other  ministers  to  do  his  work  in  the  world. 

8.  It  is  the  right  and  duty  of  ministers  to  adopt  new  rrumures 
for  promoting  revivals.  In  some  places  the  church  have  o]> 
posed  their  minister  when  he  has  attempted  to  employ  those 
measures  which  God  has  blessed  for  a  revival,  and  have  gone 
so  far  as  to  give  up  their  prayer  meetings,  and  give  up  labors 
ing  to  save  souls,  and  stand  aloof  fi'om  everything,  because 
their  minister  has  adopted  what  they  call  new  measures  No 
matter  how  reasonable  the  measures  are  iu  themselves,  nor 
how  seasonable,  nor  how  much  God  may  bless  them.  It  is 
enough  that  they  are  called  new  measures,  and  they  wiU  not 
have  anything  to  do  with  new  measures,  nor  tolerate  them 
among  the  people.  And  thus  they  faU  out  by  the  way,  and 
grieve  away  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  put  a  stop  to  the  revival, 
when  the  world  around  them  is  going  to  helL 

Finally.— This  zealous  adherence  to  particular  forms  and 
modes  of  doing  things,  which  has  led  the  charch  to  resist  in- 
novations in  measures,  savors  strongly  offanatwism.  And  what 
is  not  a  httle  singular,  is  that  fanatics  of  this  stamp  are  al- 
ways the  first  to  cry  out  "  fanaticism,"  What  is  that  but 
fanaticism  m  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  that  causes  them 
to  adhere  with  such  pertinacity  to  theu  particular  modes,  and 
forms,  and  ceremonies,  and  fooleries?  They  act  as  if  all 
these  things  were  established  by  divine  authority  ;  as  if  there 
were  a  "  Thus  sjiith  the  Lord"  for  every  one  of  them.  Now 
we  justly  style  this  a  spirit  of  fanaticism,  and  esteem  it  worthy 
of  relrjike.  '^But  it  is  just  as  absolutely  fanatical,  for  the  Pres- 
byterian Church,  or  any  other  church,  to  be  sticldish  for  her 
particular  forms,  and  to  act  as  if  they  were  estabhshed  by  di- 
vine authority.  The  fact  is,  that  God  has  established,  in  no 
church,  any  particular  form,  or  manner  of  worship,  for  pro- 
moting the  interests  of  religion.  The  Scriptiu-es  are  entirely 
silent  on  these  subjects,  under  the  Gospel  dispensation,  and 
the  church  is  left  to  exercise  her  own  discretion  in  relation  to 
all  such  matters.  And  I  hope  it  wiU  not  be  thought  unkind, 
when  I  say  again,  that  to  me  it  appears,  that  the  unkind, 
angry  zeal  for  a  certain  mode  and  manner  of  doing  things, 
and  the  overbearing,  exterminating  cry  against  new  measures, 

SAVORS    STRONGLY    OF    FANATICISM. 

The  only  thing  insisted  upon  imder  the  Gospel  dispensa- 
tion, in  regard  to  measiu-es,  is  that  there  should  be  decency 
tmd  order.     "  Let  all  things  be  done  decently  and  in  order.** 


262  MSLASTJBSS   TO    PBOMOTB   RKVTVAIAL 

We  are  required  to  guard  against  all  confusion  and  disorder 
ly  conduct  But  what  is  decency  and  order  ?  Will  it  be  pre- 
tended that  an  anxious  meeting,  or  a  protracted  meeting,  or 
an  anxious  seat,  is  inconsistent  with  decency  and  order  ?  1 
should  most  sincerely  deprecate,  and  most  firmly  resist  what- 
ever was  indecent  and  disorderly  in  the  worship  of  God's 
house.  But  I  do  not  suppose  that  by  "  order"  we  are  to  un- 
derstand any  particular  set  mode,  in  which  any  church  may 
have  been  acco&tomed  to  perform  their  seryice. 


LECTURE  XV 

HINDEBANCES   TO   BEV1VAI& 

Tbxv.— I  am  doln^  a  gre&t  wortL,  bo  that  I  cannot  come  down.    Why  sho«)d  tfeii 
work  caase,  whilst  I  leaTe  it,  and  come  down  to  70a.— Nehxiuah  tI,  8. 

Tms  servant  of  God  had  come  down  from  Babylon  to  re- 
build the  temple  and  re-establish  the  worship  of  God  at 
Jerusalem,  the  city  of  his  fathers*  sepulchres.  WTien  it  waa 
discovered  by  Sanballat  and  certain  individuals,  his  aUies, 
who  had  long  enjoyed  the  desolations  of  Zion,  that  now  the 
temple,  and  the  holy  city  were  about  to  be  rebuilt,  they  raised 
a  great  opposition.  Sanballat  and  the  other  leaders  tried  in 
several  ways  to  divert  Nehemiah  and  his  friends,  and  prevent 
them  from  going  forward  in  their  work  ;  at  one  time  they 
threatened  them,  and  then  complained  that  they  were  going 
to  rebel  against  tlie  king.  Again,  they  insisted  that  their  de- 
sign was  not  pious  but  poHtical,  to  which  Nehemiah  rephed 
by  a  simple  and  prompt  denial,  "  There  are  no  such  things 
done  as  thou  sayest,  but  thou  feignest  them  out  of  thine  own 
heart."  FiQally,  Sanballat  sent  a  message  to  Nehemiah,  re- 
questing him  to  meet  in  the  plain  of  Ono,  to  discuss  the 
whole  matter  amicably  and  have  the  difficulty  adjusted,  but 
designed  to  do  him  mischief.  They  had  found  that  they 
could  not  frighten  Nehemiah,  and  now  they  wanted  to  come 
round  him  by  artifice  and  fraud,  and  draw  him  off  from  the 
vigorous  prosecution  of  his  worL  But  he  rephed,  "I  am 
doing  a  great  work,  so  that  I  cannot  come  down  :  why  should 
the  work  cease,  whilst  I  come  down  to  you  ?" 

It  has  always  been  the  case,  whenever  any  of  the  servants 
of  God  do  anything  in  his  cause,  and  there  appears  to  be  a 
prohahility  that  that  they  will  succeed,  that  Satan  by  his 
agents  regularly  attempts  to  divert  their  minds  and  nullify 
their  labors.  So  it  has  been  during  the  last  ten  years,  id 
which  there  have  been  such  remarkable  revivals  through  tht 
length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  These  revivals  have  been 
very  great  and  powerful,  and  extensiva  It  haa  been  esti- 
mated that  not  less  than  two  hundred  thousand  persons  have 
been  converted  to  God  in  that  tune. 

And  the  devil  has  been  busy  in  his  devices  to  diyart  and 

i9m\ 


964  HLfirDSBAIfCES  TO   BEYIVAUB. 

distract  the  people  of  God,  and  turn  off  their  energies  from 
pushing  forward  the  great  work  of  salvation-  In  remarking 
on  the  subject,  I  propose  to  show, 

L  That  a  Revival  of  Religion  is  a  great  work. 

n.  To  mention  several  tilings  which  may  put  a  stop  to  it. 

TTT.  Endeavor  to  show  what  must  be  done  for  the  continor 
anoe  of  this  great  revival 

JL..I  am  to  show  that  a  Revival  of  Rehgion  is  a  great  work, 

jLt  is  a  great  work,  because  in  it  are  great  interests  involved. 
In  a  Revival  of  Religion  are  involved  both  the  glory  of  God, 
so  far  as  it  respects  the  government  of  this  world,  and  the  sal- 
vation of  men.  Two  things  that  are  of  infinite  importance  are 
involved  in  it  The  greatness  of  a  work  is  to  be  estimated  by 
the  greatness  of  the  consequences  depending  on  it.  And  this 
is  the  measure  of  its  importance. 

^n.  I  am  to  mention  several  things  which  may  put  a  stop  to 
ayevival. 

Some  have  talked  very  foolishly  on  this  subject,  as  if 
nothing  could  injure  a  genuine  revival  They  say,  "  If  your 
revival  is  a  work  of  God,  it  cannot  be  stopped ;  can  any 
created  being  stop  God?"  Now  I  ask  if  this  is  common 
sense  ?  Formerly,  it  used  to  be  the  established  behef  that  a 
revival  could  not  be  stopped,  because  it  was  the  work  of  God. 
And  so  they  supposed  it  would  go  on,  whatever  might  be 
done  to  hinder  it,  in  the  church  or  out  of  it.  But  the  farmer 
might  just  as  well  reason  so,  and  think  he  could  go  and  cut 
down  his  wheat  and  not  hurt  the  crop,  because  it  is  God  that 
makes  grain  grow.  A  revival  is  the  work  of  God,  and  so  is  a 
crop  of  wheat ;  and  God  is  as  much  dependent  on  the  use  of 
means  in  one  case  as  the  other.  And  therefore  a  revival  is  as 
liable  to  be  injured  as  a  wheat-field- 

1.  A  revival  will  stop  whenever  the  church  believe  U  is  going 
to  cease.  The  church  are  the  instruments  with  which  God 
carries  on  this  work,  and  they  are  to  work  in  it  voluntarily 
and  with  their  hearts.  Nothing  is  more  fatal  to  a  revivaJl 
than  for  its  friends  to  predict  that  it  is  going  to  stop.  No 
matter  what  the  enemies  of  the  work  may  say  about  it,  pre- 
licting  that  it  will  all  run  out  and  come  to  nothing,  and  the 
ilka  They  cannot  stop  it  in  this  way  ;  but  the  friends  must 
Ab^)r  and  pray  in  faith  to  carry  it  on.  It  is  a  contradiction  to 
say  they  are  laboring  and  praying  in  faith  to  carry  on  the 
work,  and  yet  behove  that  it  is  going  to  stop.  If  they  lose 
their  faith,  it  will  stop,  of  course.  Whenever  the  friends  of 
revivals  begin  to  proj)hesy  that  the  revival  is  going  to  stop^ 
abej  should  be  instantly  rebuked,  in  the  name  of  the  LoccL 


EUNDEBANCES   TO    REVTVAIA  96S 

Ef  the  idea  once  begins  to  prevail,  and  if  you  cannot  countei> 
act  it  and  root  it  out,  the  revival  will  infallibly  cease  ;  for  it  ia 
indispensable  to  the  work,  that  Christians  should  labor  and 
pray  in  faith  to  promote  it,  and  it  is  a  contradiction  to  say 
that  they  can  labor  in  faith  for  its  continuance,  while  they  be-  • 
lieve  that  it  is  about  to  cease. 

2.  A  revival  will  cease  lohen  Christians  consent  that  it  should 
tease.  Sometimes  Christians  see  that  the  revival  is  in  danger 
of  ceasing,  and  that  if  something  effectual  is  not  done,  it  will 
come  to  a  stand.  If  this  fact  distresses  them,  and  drives 
them  to  prayer,  and  to  fresh  efforts,  the  work  will  not  cease. 
When  Christians  love  the  work  of  God  and  the  salvation  of 
souls  so  weU  that  they  are  distressed  at  the  mere  apprehen- 
sion of  a  decline,  it  will  diive  them  to  an  agony  of  prayer  and 
effort  If  it  does  not  drive  them  to  agony  and  effort  to  pre-  y 
vent  its  ceasing ;  if  they  see  the  danger,  and  do  not  try  to 
avert  it,  or  to  renew  the  work,  they  consent  that  rr  should 
STOP.  There  are  at  this  time  many  people,  all  over  the  coun- 
try, who  see  revivals  declining,  and  that  they  are  in  great 
danger  of  ceasing  altogether,  and  yet  they  manifest  but  little 
distress,  and  seem  to  care  but  httle  about  it  Whole  churchef 
see  their  condition,  and  see  what  is  coming  unless  there  cai 
be  a  waking  up,  and  yet  they  are  at  ease,  and  do  not  gi'oan 
and  agonize  in  prayer,  that  God  would  revive  his  work.  Some 
are  even  predicting  that  there  is  now  going  to  be  a  great  re- 
action, and  a  great  dearth  come  over  the  church,  as  there 
did  after  Whitefleld's  and  Edwards'  day.  And  yet  they  are 
not  startled  at  their  own  forebodings  ;  they  are  cool  about 
it,  and  turn  directly  off  to  other  things.  THEY  CON- 
SENT TO  IT.  It  seems  as  if  they  were  the  devil's  trum- 
peters, sent  out  to  scatter  dismay  throughout  the  ranks  of 
God's  elect 

3.  A  revival  will  cease  whenever  Christians  become  mechanr  » 
ical  in  their  attempts  to  promote  it.  When  their  faith  is  strong, 
and  their  hearts  are  warm  and  meUow,  and  their  prayers  full 
of  holy  emotion,  and  their  words  with  power,  then  the  work 
goes  on.  But  when  their  prayers  begin  to  be  cold  and  with- 
out emotion,  and  their  deep- toned  feeling  is  gone,  and  they 
begin  to  labor  mechanically,  and  to  use  words  without  feehng, 
then  the  revival  will  cease. 

4.  The  revival  will  cease  whenever  Christians  get  the  idea 
that  the  work  voUl  go  on  ivUhout  their  aid.  The  church  are  co- 
workers with  God  in  promoting  a  revival,  and  the  work  can 
be  carried  on  just  as  far  iis  the  church  will  carry  it  on,  and 
DO  farther      Gt>d  has  been  for  oae  thousand  eight  hundred 

U 


966  HINDERANCES   TO    REVIVALS. 

years  trying  to  get  the  church  into  the  work.  He  has  been 
calling  and  urging,  commanding,  entreating,  pressing  and 
encouraging,  to  get  them  to  take  hold.  He  has  stood  all  this 
while  ready  to  make  hare  his  arm  to  carry  on  the  work  with 
them.  But  the  church  have  been  unwilhng  to  do  theh  pai-t. 
They  seem  determined  to  leave  it  to  God  alone  to  convert  the 
world,  and  say,  "  If  he  wants  the  world  converted,  let  him  do 
it."  They  ought  to  know  that  this  is  impossible.  So  far  as 
we  know,  neither  God  nor  man  can  convert  the  world  with- 
out the  co-operation  of  the  church.  Sinners  cannot  be  con- 
verted without  their  own  agency,  for  conversion  consists  in 
their  voluntaiy  turning  to  God-  No  more  can  sinners  be 
converted  without  the  appropriate  moral  influences  to  turn 
them  ;  that  is,  without  truth  and  the  reality  of  things 
brought  full  before  their  minds  either  by  direct  revelation 
or  by  men,  God  cannot  convert  the  world  by  physical  om- 
nipotence, but  he  is  dependent  on  the  moral  influence  of  the 
church. 

5.  The  work  will  cease  when  the  church  prefer  to  attend  to 
their  own  concerns  rather  than  God's  business,  I  do  not  ad- 
mit that  men  have  any  business  which  is  properly  their  own, 
but  they  think  so,  and  in  fact  prefer  what  they  consider  as 
their  own,  rather  than  to  work  for  God.  They  be,gin  to  think 
they  cannot  afford  sufiicient  time  from  their  worldly  employ- 
ments to  carry  on  a  revival.  And  they  pretend  they  are 
obliged  to  give  up  attending  to  religion,  and  let  their  hearts 
go  out  again  after  the  world.  And  the  work  must  cease,  of 
course. 

6.  When  Christians  get  proud  of  their  great  revival,  it  wiU 
cease.  I  mean  those  Christians  who  have  before  been  instru 
mental  in  promoting  it.  It  is  almost  always  the  case  in  a  re- 
vival, that  a  part  of  the  church  are  too  proud  or  too  worldly 
to  take  any  part  in  the  work.  They  are  determined  to  stand 
aloof,  and  wait,  and  see  what  it  v^dll  come  to,  and  see  how  it 
will  come  out  The  pride  of  this  part  of  the  church  cannot 
stop  the  revival,  for  the  revival  never  rested  on  them.  It  be- 
gun without  them,  and  it  can  go  on  without  them.  They 
may  fold  their  arms  and  do  nothing  but  look  on  and  find 
fault ;  and  still  the  work  may  go  on.  But  when  that  part  of 
the  church  who  work,  begin  to  think  what  a  great  revival  they 
have  had,  and  how  they  have  labored  and  prayed,  and  how 
bold  and  how  zealous  they  have  been,  and  how  much  good 
they  have  done,  then  the  work  will  be  hkely  lo  dechne.  Per- 
haps it  has  been  pubhshed  in  the  papers  what  a  revival  there 
has  been  in  that  church,  and  how  much  engaged  the  mem- 


HUfDERANCES   TO    EEVlvALa.  !MJ7 

bers  have  been,  and  they  think  how  high  they  shall  stand  in 
the  estimation  of  other  churches,  all  over  the  land,  because 
they  have  had  such  a  groat  revival  And  so  they  get  puffed 
up,  and  vain,  and  then  they  can  no  longer  enjoy  the  presence 
of  God,  and  the  Spkit  withdi'aws  from  them,  and  the  revival 
ceases. 

7.  The  revival  will  stop  when  the  church  gets  exhausted  by 
toor.  Multitudes  of  Christians  commit  a  great  mistake  here 
m  time  of  revival  They  are  so  thoughtless,  and  have  so  httle 
judgment,  that  they  will  break  up  all  their  habits  of  hving, 
neglect  to  eat  and  sleep  at  the  proper  hours,  and  let  the  ex- 
citement run  away  with  them,  so  that  they  overdo  their 
bodies,  and  are  so  imprudent  that  they  soon  become  ex- 
hausted, and  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  continue  in  the 
work.  Re\'ivals  often  cease,  and  declension  follows,  from 
neghgence  and  imprudence,  in  this  respect,  on  the  part  of 
those  engaged  in  caii-ying  them  on. 

8.  A  revival  will  cease  when  the  church  begins  to  specutaie 
about  abstract  doctrines,  which  have  nothing  to  do  with  prac- 
tica  If  the  church  turn  off  their  attention  from  the  things  of 
salvation,  and  go  to  studying  or  disputing  about  abstract 
points,  the  revival  will  cease,  of  course. 

9.  WTien  Christians  begin  to  proselyte.  When  the  Baptists 
are  so  opposed  to  the  Presbyterians,  or  the  Presbyterians  to 
the  Baptists,  or  both  against  the  Methodists,  or  Episcopahans 
against  the  rest,  that  they  begin  to  make  efforts  to  get  the 
converts  to  join  their  church,  you  soon  see  the  last  of  the  re- 
vival. Perhaps  a  revival  will  go  on  for  a  time,  and  aU  secta- 
rian difficulties  are  banished,  till  somebody  circulate^a  book, 
privately,  to  gain  proselytes.  Perhaps  some  over-zealous  dea- 
con, or  some  mischief-making  woman,  or  some  proselyting 
minister,  can  not  keep  still  any  longer,  and  begins  to  work 
the  work  of  the  devil,  by  attempting  to  gain  prosel}i;es,  and 
BO  stii's  up  bitterness,  and  raising  a  selfish  stiife,  grieves 
away  the  Spii'it,  and  drives  Christians  all  into  partiea  No 
more  revival  there. 

10.  When  Christians  refuse  to  render  to  the  Tjord  according 
to  the  benefits  received.  This  is  a  fruitful  source  of  religious 
declensions.  God  has  opened  the  windows  of  heaven  to  a 
church,  and  poured  them  out  a  blessing,  and  then  he  reason- 
ably expects  them  to  biing  in  the  tithes  into  his  store-house, 
and  devise  and  execute  hberal  things  for  Zion  ;  and  lo  1  they 
have  refused  ;  they  have  not  laid  themselves  out  accordingly 
to  promote  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  so  the  Sj^irit  has  been 
grieved  and  the  blessing  withdrawn^  and  in  some  infltanoea  • 


268  HINDEBANCE8   TO   REVIVALS. 

great  reaction  has  taken  place  because  the  church  would  not 
be  liberal,  when  God  has  been  so  bountiful  I  have  known 
churches  who  were  evidently  cursed  with  barrenness  for 
such  a  course.  They  had  a  glorious  revival,  and  afterwards 
perhaps  their  meeting-house  needed  repairing,  or  something 
else  was  needed  which  would  cost  a  little  money,  and  they 
refused  to  do  it,  and  so  for  their  niggardly  spirit  God  gave 
them  up. 

11.  When  the  church,  in  any  way,  gneve  the  Holy  Spirit, 
(1.)  When  they  do  not  feel  their  dependence  on  the  Spirit 
Whenever  Christians  get  strong  in  their  own  strength,  God 
curses  their  blessings.  In  many  instances,  Christians  sin 
against  their  own  mercies,  because  they  get  hfted  up  with 
their  success,  and  take  the  credit  to  themselves,  and  do  not 
give  to  God  all  the  glory.  As  he  says,  "  If  ye  will  not  hear, 
and  if  ye  will  not  lay  it  to  heart,  to  give  glory  unto  my  name, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  I  wiU  even  send  a  curse  upon  you, 
and,  I  wiU  curse  your  blessings  :  yea,  I  have  cursed  them  al- 
ready, because  ye  do  not  lay  it  to  heart."  There  has  been  a 
great  deal  of  this  in  this  country,  undoubtedly.  I  have  seen 
many  things  that  looked  hke  it,  in  the  papers,  where  there 
seemed  a  disposition  in  men  to  take  credit  for  success  in  pro- 
moting revivals.  There  is  doubtless  a  great  temptation  to 
this,  and  it  requires  the  utmost  watchfulness,  on  the  part  of 
ministers  and  churches,  to  guard  against  it,  and  not  grieve 
the  Spirit  away  by  vain-glorying  in  men. 

(2.)  The  Spirit  may  be  grieved  by  a  spirit  of  boasting  (fthe 
revival.  Sometimes,  as  soon  as  a  revival  commences,  you  will 
see  it  blazed  out  in  the  newspapers.  And  most  common^  this 
will  kill  the  revival.  There  was  a  case  in  a  neighboring  State, 
where  a  revival  commenced,  and  instantly  there  came  out  a 
letter  from  the  pastor,  teUing  that  he  had  a  revival.  I  saw 
the  letter  and  said  to  myself.  That  is  the  last  we  shall  hear  of 
this  revival  And  so  it  was.  In  a  few  days,  the  work  totally 
ceased.  And  such  things  are  not  uncommon.  I  could  men- 
tion cases  and  places,  where  persons  have  published  such 
things  as  to  puff  up  the  church,  and  make  them  so  proud  that 
little  or  nothing  more  could  be  done  for  the  revival 

Some,  under  pretence  of  publishing  things  to  the  praise  and 
glory  of  God,  have  pubHshed  things  that  savored  so  strongly 
of  a  disposition  to  exalt  themselves,  have  made  their  own 
agency  to  stand  out  so  conspicuously,  as  was  evidently  calcu- 
lated to  make  an  unhappy  impression-  At  the  protracted 
meeting  held  in  this  church,  a  year  ago  last  fall,  there  were 
five  hundred  hopefully  converted,  whose  names  and  places  ot 


»»INDBRAJfOE8   TO   BETITAUL 

residence  we  kne^.  A  considerable  number  of  them  joined 
this  church.  Many  of  them  united  with  other  churches. 
Nothing  was  said  of  this  in  the  papers.  I  have  several  times 
been  asked  why  we  were  so  silent  upon  the  subject  I  could 
only  reply,  that  there  was  such  a  tendency  to  self-exaltation 
in  the  churches,  that  I  was  afraid  to  pubHsh  anything  on  the 
subject.  Perhaps  I  erred-  But  I  have  so  often  seen  mischief 
done  by  premature  pubhcations,  that  I  thought  it  best  to  say 
nothing  about  it.  In  the  revival  in  this  city,  four  years  ago, 
so  much  was  said  in  the  papers,  that  appeared  like  self-exalta- 
tion, that  I  was  afraid  to  pubhsh.  I  am  not  speaking  against 
the  practice  itself y  of  publishing  accounts  of  revivals.  But  the 
manner  of  doing  it  is  of  vast  importance.  If  it  is  done  so  as 
to  excite  vanity,  it  is  always  fatal  to  the  revival. 

(3.)  So  the  Spirit  is  grieved  by  saying  or  publishing  things 
that  are  calculated  to  undervalue  the  work  of  God.  When  a 
blessed  work  of  God  is  spoken  lightly  of,  not  rendering  to  God 
the  glory  due  to  his  name,  the  Spirit  is  grieved.  If  anything 
is  said  about  a  revival,  give  only  the  plain  and  naked  facts  just 
as  they  are,  and  let  them  pass  for  what  they  are  worth. 

12.  A  revival  may  be  expected  to  cease,  when  Christians  lose 
the  spirit  of  brotherly  love.  Jesus  Christ  will  not  continue  with 
people  in  a  revival  any  longer  than  they  continue  in  the  exer- 
cise of  brotherly  love.  When  Christians  are  in  the  spirit  of  a 
revival,  they  feel  this  love,  and  then  you  will  hear  them  call 
each  other  brother  and  sister,  very  affectionately.  But  when 
they  begin  to  get  cold,  they  lose  this  warmth  and  glow  of  affec- 
tion for  one  another,  and  then  this  calling  brother  and  sister 
will  seem  silly  and  contemptible  and  they  will  leave  it  offl  In 
some  churches  they  never  call  each  other  so,  but  where  there 
is  a  revival,  Christians  naturally  do  it  I  never  saw  a  revival, 
and  probably  there  never  was  one,  in  which  they  did  not  do 
it  But  as  soon  as  this  begins  to  cease,  the  Spirit  of  God  is 
grieved,  and  departs  from  among  them. 

13.  A  revival  will  decline  and  cease,  unless  OhrisHans  are 
frequently  re-converted.  By  this  I  mean,  that  Christians,  in 
order  to  keep  in  the  spirit  of  a  revival,  commonly  need  to  be 
frequently  contacted,  and  humbled,  and  broken  down  before 
God,  and  re-converted.  This  is  something  which  many  do  not 
understand,  when  we  talk  about  a  Christian's  being  re-con- 
verted. But  the  fact  is  that  in  a  revival  the  Christian's  heart 
is  Hable  to  get  crusted  over,  and  lose  its  exquisite  relish  for 
divine  things  ;  his  unction  and  prevalence  in  prayer  abates, 
and  then  he  must  be  converted  over  again.  It  is  impossible 
to  keep  him  in  such  a  state  as  not  to  do  injury  to  the  work. 


270  HUffDKRANCES   TO    RHYTYAIM. 

uii]e8S  he  pass  through  such  a  process  every  few  days.  I  have 
,  never  labored  in  revivals  in  company  with  any  one  who  would 
keep  in  the  work  and  be  fit  to  manage  a  revival  continually, 
who  did  not  pass  through  this  process  of  brealdng  down  as 
often  as  once  in  two  or  three  weeks.  Kevivals  decline,  com- 
monly, because  it  is  found  imj^ossible  to  make  the  church  feel 
their  guilt  and  their  dependence,  so  as  to  break  down  before 
God.  It  is  important  that  ministers  should  understand  this, 
and  learn  how  to  break  down  the  church,  and  break_doyvn 
ttiemselves  when  they^need  it,  or  else  Chi-istians  will  soon  be- 
come m^chanicarm  their^work,  and  lose  their  fervor  and  their 
•power  of  prevailing  with  God.  This  was  the  process  through 
which  Peter  passed,  when  he  had  denied  the  Saviour,  and  by 
which  breaking  down,  the  Lord  prepared  hdin  for  the  great 
work  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  I  was  sui'prised,  a  few  years 
since,  to  find  that  the  phrase  "  breaking  doitm"  was  a  stumbling 
block  to  certain  ministers  and  professors  of  religion.  They  laid 
themselves  open  to  the  rebuke  admuiistered  to  Nicodemus, 
"  Ai-t  thou  a  master  in  Israel  and  knowest  not  these  things  ?  ** 
I  am  confident  that  until  some  of  them  know  what  it  is  to  be 
"broken  down,"  they  wlQ  never  do  much  more  for  the  cause 
of  revivals. 

"14.  A  revival  cannot  continue  when  Christians  wHl  nd  prw> 
tice  self-denial.  When  the  church  have  enjoyed  a  revival  and 
begin  to  grow  fat  upon  it,  and  run  into  seh-indulgence,  the 
revival  will  soon  cease.  Unless  they  sympathize  with  the  Son 
of  God,  who  gave  up  all  to  save  sinners  ;  unless  they  are  will- 
ing to  give  up  their  luxuries,  and  their  ease,  and  lay  them- 
selves out  in  the  work,  they  need  not  expect  the  Spirit  of  God 
wiU  be  poured  out  upon  them.  This  is  undoubtedly  one  of 
the  principal  causes  of  personal  declension.  Let  Christians 
in  a  revival  BEWARE,  when  they  first  find  an  iacluia- 
tion  creeping  upon  them,  to  shrink  from  self-denial,  and  to 
give  in  to  one  form  of  self-indulgence  after  another.  It  is 
the  device  of  Satan,  to  bait  them  off  from  the  work  of  God, 
find  make  them  dull  and  gross,  and  lazy,  and  fearful,  and  use- 
less, and  sensual,  and  drive  away  the  Spkit  and  destroy  the 
revival 

15.  A  revival  will  be  stopped  by  controversies  about  new  mea- 
9ures,  Nothing  is  more  certain  to  overthrow  a  revival  than 
this.  But  as  my  last  lecture  was  on  the  subject  of  new  mea- 
sures, I  need  not  dwell  longer  on  the  subject  now. 

16.  Revivals  can  be  put  down  by  the  continued  ojrposiMon  of 
the  Old  School,  combined  with  a  bad  spiiit  in  the  New  Sclwol.  If 
those  who  do  nothing  to  promote  revivals  continue  their  op 


HINDERANCES   TO   BBVIVALS.  271 

position,  and  if  those  who  are  laboring  to  promote  them  allow 
themselves  to  get  impatient,  and  get  into  a  bad  spirit,  the  revival 
will  cease.  When  the  Old  School  write  tlieir  letters  in  the  news- 
papers, against  revivals  or  revival  men,  and  the  New  Scliool  wTite 
letters  back  again,  against  them,  in  an  angiy,  contentious,  bitter 
spirit,  and  get  into  a  janghng  controversy,  revivals  ^vill  cease. 
LET  THEM  KEEP  ABOUT  THEIR  WORK,  and  not  talk 
about  the  opposition,  nor  preach,  nor  print  about  it.  li 
others  choose  to  publish  their  slang  and  stuff,  let  the  Lord's 
servants  keep  to  their  work,  and  all  the  writiug  and  slander 
will  not  stop  the  revival,  while  those  who  are  engaged  in  it 
mind  their  business,  and  keep  to  their  work.  It  is  astonish- 
ing how  far  this  holds  true  in  fact 

In  one  place  where  there  was  a  revival,  certain  ministers 
formed  a  combination  against  the  pastor  of  the  chui'ch,  and  a 
plan  was  set  on  foot  to  ruin  him,  and  they  actually  got  him 
prosecuted  before  his  Presbytery,  and  had  a  trial  that  lasted 
six  weeks,  right  ia  the  midst  of  the  revival,  and  the  work  still 
went  on.  The  praying  members  of  the  chui'ch  laid  them- 
selves out  so  in  the  work,  that  it  continued  tiiumphantly 
thi'oughout  the  whole  scene.  The  pastor  was  called  off,  to 
attend  his  trial,  but  tliere  was  another  minister  that  labored 
among  the  people,  and  the  members  did  not  even  go  to  the 
tiial,  generally,  but  kept  praying-  and  laboring  for  souls,  and 
the  revival  rode  out  the  storm.  In  many  other  places,  oppo- 
sition has  risen  up  ia  the  church,  but  a  few  humble  souls  have 
kept  at  their  work,  and  a  gracious  God  has  stretched  out  his 
naied  arm  and  made  the  revival  go  forward  in  spite  of  all 
oppiosition- 

But  whenever  those  who  are  actively  engaged  in  promoting 
a  revival  get  excited  at  the  uni-easonableness  and  pei-tinacity 
of  the  opposition,  and  feel  as  if  they  could  not  have  it  so,  and 
they  lose  theii-  patience,  and  feel  as  if  they  must  answer  their 
cavils  and  refute  their  slanders,  then  they  get  down  into  the 
plaiQS  of  Ono,  and  the  work  must  ceavsa 

17.  Any  diversion  of  the  public  mind  will  hinder  a  revival' 
Anything  that  succeeds  in  diverting  pubHc  attention,  will  put 
a  stop  to  a  revival  In  the  case  I  have  specified,  where  the 
minister  was  put  on  trial  before  his  Presbytery,  the  reason 
why  it  did  not  ruin  the  revival  was,  that  the  pra;ying  mem- 
bers of  the  church  loould  not  suffer  themselves  to  be  diverted. 
They  did  not  even  attend  the  trial,  but  kept  praying  and 
laboring  for  souls,  and  so  public  attention  was  kept  to  the 
sabject,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  the  devil 

But  whenever  he  succeeds  in  ab»rrbing  pubho  attention  on 


1Y2  HINDERAJJJCK8   TO    REVIVAIA. 

any  other  subject,  he  will  put  an  end  to  the  revival  No  ma^ 
ter  what  the  subject  is.  If  an  angel  from  heaven  were  to  come 
down,  and  preach,  or  pass  about  the  streets,  it  might  be  the 
worst  thing  id  the  world  for  a  revival,  for  it  would  turn  sin- 
ners all  off  fi-om  their  own  sins,  and  turn  the  church  off  from 
praying  for  souls,  to  follow  this  glorious  being,  and  gaze  apon 
him,  and  the  revival  would  cease. 

18.  Resistance  to  the  Temperance  Reformation  will  put  a  stop 
to  revivals  in  a  church.  The  time  has  come  that  it  can  no 
longer  be  innocent  in  a  church  to  stand  aloof  from  this  glo- 
rious refoiination.  The  time  was  when  this  could  be  done 
ignorantly.  The  time  has  been  when  ministers  and  Chris- 
tians could  enjoy  revivals,  notwithstanding  ardent  spirit  was 
used  among  them.  But  since  light  has  been  thrown  upon 
the  subject,  and  it  has  been  found  that  the  use  is  only  inju- 
rious, no  church  member  or  minister  can  be  innocent  and 
stand  neutral  in  the  cause.  They  must  speak  out  and  take 
sides.  And  if  they  do  not  take  ground  on  one  side,  their  in- 
fluence is  on  the  other.  Show  me  a  minister  that  has  taken 
ground  against  the  temperance  reformation  who  has  had  a 
revival  Show  me  one  who  now  stands  aloof  from  it  who 
has  a  revival  Show  me  one  who  now  temporizes  upon  this 
point  who  does  not  come  out  and  take  a  stand  in  favor  of 
temperance  who  has  a  revival.  It  did  not  use  to  be  so.  But 
now  the  subject  has  come  up,  and  has  been  discussed,  and  is 
understood,  no  man  can  shut  his  eyes  upon  the  truth.  The 
man's  hands  are  KED  WITH  BLOOD  who  stands  aloof 
from  the  temperance  cause.     And  can  he  have  a  revival  ? 

19.  Revivals  are  hindered  when  ministers  and  churches  iaki 
wrong  ground  in  regard  to  any  question  involving  humaji  rights. 
Take  the  subject  of  SLAVERY,  for  instance.  The  time  was 
when  this  subject  was  not  before  the  public  mind  John 
Newton  continued  in  the  slave  trade  after  his  conversion. 
And  so  had  his  mind  been  perverted,  and  so  completely  was 
his  conscience  seared,  in  regard  to  this  most  nefarious  traffic, 
that  the  sinfulness  of  it  never  occurred  to  his  thoughts  until 
some  time  after  he  became  a  child  of  God  Had  Kght  been 
poured  upon  his  mind  previously  to  his  conversion,  he  never 
could  have  been  converted  without  previously  abandoning 
this  sin.  And  after  his  conversion,  when  convinced  of  its  in- 
iquity, he  could  no  longer  enjoy  the  presence  of  God,  with- 
out abandoning  the  sin  for  ever.  So,  doubtless,  many  slave 
dealers  and  slave  holders  in  our  own  country  have  been  (.x)n- 
verted,  notwithstanding  their  participation  in  this  abomina- 
tion, because  the  sinfulness  of  it  was  not  apparent  to  theii 


HrNDEEAN';ES    TO    BEVIVALg.  21% 

miiid&  So  ministers  and  clmrches,  to  a  great  extent  through- 
out the  land,  have  held  their  peace,  and  borne  no  testimony 
against  this  abominable  abomination,  existing  m  the  church 
and  in  the  nation.  But  recently,  the  subject  has  come  up  for 
discussion,  and  the  providence  of  God  has  brought  it  dis- 
tinctly before  the  eyes  of  all  men.  Light  is  now  shed  upon 
this  subject,  as  it  has  been  upon  the  cause  of  temperance. 
Facts  are  exhibited,  and  principles  established,  and  Ught 
thrown  in  upon  the  minds  of  men,  and  this  monster  is  drag- 
ged from  his  horrid  den,  and  exhibited  before  the  church,  and 
:t  is  demanded  of  them,  "  IS  THIS  SIN  ?  '*  Their  testimony 
must  be  given  on  this  subject  They  are  God's  witnesses. 
They  are  sworn  to  tell  "the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and 
nothing  but  the  truth."  It  is  impossible  that  their  testimony 
should  not  be  given,  on  one  side  or  the  other.  Their  silence 
can  no  longer  be  accounted  for  upon  the  principle  of  igno- 
rance, and  that  they  have  never  had  their  attention  turned  to 
the  subject.  Consequently,  the  silence  of  Christians  upon 
the  subject  is  vu-tually  saying  tJiat  they  do  not  consider  slavery 
as  a  sin.  The  truth  is,  it  is  a  subject  upon  which  they  can- 
not be  silent  without  guili  The  time  has  come,  in  the  prov- 
idence of  God,  when  every  southern  breeze  is  loaded  down 
with  the  cries  of  lamentation,  mourning  and  wo.  Two  mil- 
lions of  degraded  heathen  in  our  own  land  stretch  their 
hands,  all  shackled  and  bleeding,  and  send  forth  to  the  church 
of  God  the  agonizing  cry  for  help.  And  shall  the  church, 
in  her  efforts  to  reclaim  and  save  the  world,  deafen  her  ears 
to  this  voice  of  agony  and  despair  ?  God  forbid.  The  church 
cannot  turn  away  from  this  question.  It  is  a  question  for 
the  church  and  for  the  nation  to  decide,  and  God  will  push  it 
to  a  decision- 
It  is  in  vain  for  the  churches  to  resist  it  for  fear  of  distrac- 
tion, contention,  and  strife.  It  is  in  vain  to  accoimt  it  an 
act  of  piety  to  turn  away  the  ear  from  hearing  this  cry  oi 
distress. 

The  church  must  testify,  and  testify  "the  truth,  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,"  on  this  subject,  or  she  is 
perjured,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  departs  from  her.  She  is  under 
oath  to  testify,  and  ministers  and  churches  who  do  not  pro- 
nounce it  sin  bear  false  testimony  for  God.  It  is  doubUess 
true  that  one  of  the  reasons  for  the  low  state  of  religion  at 
the  present  time  is  that  many  churches  have  taken  the  wrong 
side  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  have  suffered  prejudice  to  pre- 
vail over  principle,  and  have  feared  to  call  this  abominatioD 
by  its  true  nama 


174  HIJTDERANCKS   TO    RBYC7AIA. 

20.  Another  thing  that  hinders  revivals  is  iteglecHng  Om 
claims  of  mi,ssions.  If  Christians  do  not  feel  for  the  heathen, 
neglect  the  monthly  concert,  and  confine  their  attention  to 
their  own  church,  do  not  even  read  the  Missionary  Herald, 
or  use  a?ay  other  means  to  inform  themselves  on  the  subject 
of  the  claims  of  the  world,  and  reject  the  light  which  God  is 
throwing  before  them,  and  will  not  do  what  God  calls  them 
to  do  in  this  cause,  the  Spirit  of  God  will  depart  from  them. 

21.  WTieu  a  church  reject  the  calls  of  God  upon  them  for 
educating  young  men  for  the  ministry^  they  will  hinder  and 
destroy  a  ^-evival  Look  at  the  Presbyterian  church,  look  at 
the  200,000  souls  converted  within  ten  years,  and  means 
enough  to  fill  the  world  with  ministers,  and  yet  the  ministry 
is  not  increasing  so  fast  as  the  population  of  our  own  coun- 
try, and  unless  sometiiing  more  can  be  done  to  provide  min- 
isters, we  shall  become  heathen  ourselves.  The  churches  do 
not  press  upon  young  men  the  duty  of  going  into  the  min- 
istry. God  pours  his  Spiiit  on  the  chm'ches,  and  converts 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  souls,  and  if  then  the  laborers  do 
not  come  forth  into  the  harvest,  what  can  be  expected  but 
that  the  curse  of  God  will  come  upon  the  churches,  and  his 
Spnit  will  be  withdrawn,  and  revivals  will  cease.  Upon 
this  subject  no  minister,  no  church  should  be  silent  or  in- 
active. 

22.  Slandering  revivals  will  often  put  them  dowtL  The 
great  revival  in  the  days  of  President  Edwards  sufiered 
greatly  by  the  conduct  of  the  church  in  this  respect  It  is  to 
be  expected  that  the  enemies  of  God  will  revile,  misrepresent 
and  dander  revivals.  But  when  the  church  herself  engages 
in  this  work,  and  many  of  her  most  infiuential  members  are 
aiding  and  aoetting  in  calumniating  and  misrepresenting  a 
glorious  work  of  God,  it  is  reasonable  that  the  Spirit  should 
be  grieved  away.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  this  has  been 
done,  to  a  grievous  and  God-dishonoring  extent.  It  has  been 
estimated  that  in  one  year,  since  this  revival  commenced, 
ONE  HUNDRKD  THOUSAND  SOULS  woTO  couvertcd  to  God  in  the 
United  States.  This  was  undoubtedly  the  greatest  number 
that  were  ever  converted  in  one  year,  since  the  world  began.* 
It  could  not  be  expected  that,  in  an  excitement  of  this  ex- 
tent, among  human  beingsy  there  should  be  nothing  to  de- 


•  This  was  in  1831.  There  have  been  more  extensive  revivals  since. 
In  1857-8  it  was  estimated  that  50,000  conversions  per  week  occurrea 
for  six  or  eight  weeks  in  succession  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Unite4 
States. 


HLN1>BILA.NCES   TO   TLKYIYALA,  271 

plore.  To  expect  perfection  in  such  a  work  as  this,  of  such 
extent,  and  canied  on  by  human  instrumentality,  is  utterly 
unreasonable  and  absurd.  Evils  doubtless  did  exist  and  have 
existed.  They  were  to  be  ex^Dected  of  coui'se,  and  guarded 
against,  as  far  as  possible.  And  I  do  not  bcheve  the  world's 
hjstoi-y  can  furnish  one  instance  in  which  a  revivfil,  approach- 
ing to  this  in  extent  and  influence,  has  been  attended  with  so 
few  evils,  and  so  httle  that  is  honestly  to  be  deplored. 

But  how  has  this  blessed  work  of  God  been  treated  ?  Ad- 
mitting all  the  evils  comi3lained  of  to  be  real,  which  is  far 
from  being  true,  they  woiild  only  be  like  spots  upon  the  disc 
of  the  glorious  sun  ;  tilings  hardly  to  be  thought  of,  in  com- 
parison of  the  infinite  greatness  and  excellence  of  the  work. 
And  yet  how  have  a  great  portion  of  the  Presbyi;erian  church 
received  and  treated  this  blessed  work  of  God  ?  At  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  that  gi-ave  body  of  men  that  represent  the 
Presbyterian  Chiu-ch,  in  the  midst  of  this  great  work,  instead 
of  apj)ointing  a  day  of  thanksgiving,  instead  of  praising  and 
glorifying  God  for  the  greatness  of  his  work,  we  hear  from 
them  the  voice  of  rebuke.  From  the  reports  that  were  given 
of  the  speeches  made  there,  it  appears  that  the  house  was 
filled  with  complainings.  Instead  of  devising  measui-es  to 
forward  the  work,  their  attention  seemed  to  be  taken  up  with 
the  comparatively  trifling  evils  that  were  incidental  to  it  And 
after  much  complaining,  they  absolutely  appointed  a  commit- 
tee, and  sent  forth  a  "  Pastoral  Letter  "  to  the  chui'ches,  cal- 
culated to  excite  suspicions,  quench  the  zeal  of  God's  people, 
and  turn  them  off  from  giving  glory  to  God  for  the  greatness 
of  the  blessing,  to  finding  faidt  and  carping  about  the  evils. 
When  I  heard  what  was  done  at  that  General  Assembly,  when 
I  read  their  speeches,  when  I  saw  their  pastoral  letter,  my 
soul  was  sick,  an  imutterable  feeling  of  distress  came  over  my 
mind,  and  I  felt  that  God  would  "visit"  tlie  Presbyterian 
chui-ch  for  conduct  like  this.  And  ever  since,  the  glory  has 
been  departing,  and  revivals  have  been  becoming  less  and  less 
frequent — less  and  less  powerful.* 

And  now  I  wish  it  could  be  known  whether  those  ministers 
who  pom-ed  out  those  complainings  on  the  floor  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  and  who  were  instrumental  in  getting  up  that 
pastoral  letter,  have  since  been  blessed  in  promoting  revivals 
of  rehgion — whether  the  Spmt  of  God  has  been  upon  them, 

•  The  strange  opposition  of  such  men  as  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher  and 
Mr.  NettJeton  had  much  to  do  with  provoking  and  sustain  ng-  thi* 
oppositiou. 


t79  HINDEBANCEB   TO    RETIVAig. 

and  whether  their  churches  can  witness  that  they  hare  ao 
unction  from  the  Holy  One. 

23.  Ecclesiastical  difficulties  are  calculated  to  grieve  away 
the  Spirit,  and  destroy  revivals.  It  has  always  been  the  pol- 
icy of  the  devil  to  turn  off  the  attention  of  ministers  from 
the  work  of  the  Lord  to  disputes  and  ecclesiastical  Htigations. 
President  Edwards  was  ob%ed  to  be  taken  up  for  a  long 
time  in  disputes  before  ecclesiastical  councils  ;  and  in  our 
days,  and  in  the  midst  of  these  great  revivals  of  rehgion, 
these  (difficulties  have  been  alarmingly  and  shamefully  multi- 
plied. Some  of  the  most  efficient  ministers  in  the  church 
have  been  called  off  from  their  direct  efforts  to  win  souls  to 
Christ,  to  attend  day  after  day,  and  in  some  instances 
week  after  week,  to  chai'ges  preferred  against  them,  or 
their  feUow-laborers  in  the  ministry,  which  could  never  be 
sustained. 

Look  at  Philadelphia  :  what  endless  and  disgraceful  jang- 
lings  have  distracted  and  disgraced  the  church  of  God  in  that 
city,  and  through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  And 
in  the  Presbyterian  church  at  large  these  ecclesiastical  diffi- 
culties have  produced  evils  enough  to  make  creation  weop. 
Brother  Beman  was  shamefully  and  wickedly  called  off  from 
promoting  revivals,  to  attend  a  trial  before  his  own  presby- 
tery, upon  charges  which,  if  true,  were  most  of  them  ridicu- 
lous, but  which  could  never  be  sustained.  And  since  that 
time  a  great  portion  of  his  time  has,  it  would  seem  necessa- 
rily, been  taken  up  with  the  adjustment  of  ecclesiastical  dif- 
ficulties. Brother  Duffield,  of  Carlisle,  Brother  Barnes,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  others  of  God's  most  successful  ministers, 
have  been  hindered  a  considerable  part  of  their  time  for  years 
by  these  difficulties.  Oh,  tell  it  not  in  Gath  I  When  will 
those  ministers  and  professors  of  rehgion  who  do  little  or 
nothing  themselves,  let  others  alone,  and  let  tiiem  work  for 
God? 

24  Another  thing  by  which  revivals  may  be  hindered  is 
censoriousness  on  either  side,  and  especially  in  those  who  have 
been  engaged  in  carrying  forward  a  revival.  It  is  to  be  ex- 
pected that  the  opposers  of  the  work  will  watch  for  the  halt- 
mg  of  its  friends,  and  be  sure  to  censure  them  for  all  that  is 
wrong,  and  not  unfrequentiy  for  that  which  is  right  in  their 
oonduci  Especially  is  it  to  be  expected  that  many  censo- 
rious and  unchristian  remarks  wiU  be  made  about  those  that 
are  the  most  prominent  instruments  in  promoting  the  work. 
This  censoriousness  on  the  part  of  the  opposers  of  the  work, 
whether  in  or  out  of  the  church,  will  not,  however,  of  itself 


niNDERANCKS   TO    BEVlVALi.  l7t 

pnt  a  stop  to  the  revival  While  its  promoters  keep  humble, 
and  in  a  prayerful  spirit,  while  they  do  not  retahate,  but  pos- 
sess their  so  ills  in  patience,  while  they  do  not  suffer  them- 
selves to  be  divei-ted,  to  recrimiriate,  and  grieve  away  the  spirit 
of  prayer,  the  work  will  go  forward  ;  as  in  the  case  refeiTed 
to,  where  a  minister  was  on  trial  for  six  weeks  in  the  midst 
of  a  revival  There  the  people  kept  in  the  dust,  and  prayed, 
not  so  much  for  tlieir  minister,  for  they  had  left  him  with 
God,  but  with  strong  crying  and  tears  pleading  with  God 
for  sumers.  And  God  heai'd  and  blessed  them,  and  the  work 
went  on.  Censoriousness  in  those  who  are  opposed  to  the 
work  is  but  httle  to  be  dreaded,  for  they  have  not  the  Spirit, 
and  nothing  dejDends  on  them,  and  they  can  hinder  the  work 
only  just  so  far  as  they  themselves  have  hifluence  personally. 
But  the  others  have  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the 
work  depends  on  their  keeping  in  a  right  temper.  If  they 
get  wrong  and  grieve  away  the  Spirit,  there  is  no  help,  the 
work  must  cease.  WTiatever  provocation,  therefore,  the  pro- 
moters of  this  blessed  work  may  have  had,  if  it  ceases,  the 
responsibility  will  be  theirs.  And  one  of  the  most  alarming 
facts,  in  regard  to  this  matter,  is  that  in  many  instances,  those 
who  have  been  engaged  in  carrying  forward  the  work,  appear 
to  have  lost  the  Spuit  They  are  becoming  diverted,  are  be- 
ginning to  think  that  the  opposition  is  no  longer  to  be  toler- 
ated, and  that  they  must  come  out  and  reply  in  the  news- 
papers to  what  they  say.  It  should  be  known  and  univer- 
sally understood,  that  whenever  the  friends  and  promoters  of 
this  greatest  of  revivals  suffer  themselves  to  be  called  off  to 
newspaper  janghngs,  to  attempt  to  defend  themselves,  and 
reply  to  those  who  write  against  them,  the  Spirit  of  Prayer 
will  be  entirely  grieved  away,  and  the  work  will  cease. 
Nothing  is  more  detrimental  to  revivals  of  religion,  and  so 
it  has  always  been  found,  that  for  the  promoters  of  them  to  lis- 
ten to  the  opposition,  and  begin  to  reply,  This  was  found  to 
be  true  in  the  days  of  President  Edwards,  as  you  who  are 
act^uaiiited  with  his  book  on  Revivals  are  well  aware. 

HL  I  proceed  to  mention  some  things  which  ought  to  he 
done,  to  continue  this  ^eat  and  glorious  revival  of  religion, 
which  has  been  in  progress  for  the  last  ten  years. 

1.  There  should  be  great  and  deep  repentings  on  the  part  of 
ministers.  WE,  my  brethren,  must  humble  ourselves  before 
G  od.  It  will  not  do  for  us  to  suppose  that  it  is  enough  to 
cr  1  on  the  people  to  repent.  We  must  repent,  we  must  take 
\  3  lead  in  repentance,  and  then  call  on  the  churches  to 
iilow. 


t78  HiyDEEANCES  TO  REVIVALS. 

Especially  must  those  repent  who  have  taken  the  lead  in 
producing  the  feelings  of  opposition  and  distrust  in  regard  to 
revivals.  Some  ministers  have  confined  their  opposition 
against  revivals  and  revival  measures  to  their  own  congrega- 
tions, and  created  such  suspicions  among  their  own  people 
as  to  prevent  the  work  from  spreading  and  prevailing  among 
them.  Such  ministers  would  do  well  to  consider  the  remarks 
of  President  Edwards  on  this  subject 

"  If  ministers  preach  never  so  good  doctrine,  and  are  never 
so  painfnl  and  laborious  in  their  work,  yet,  if  at  such  a  day 
as  this,  they  show  to  their  people,  that  they  are  not  well- 
affected  to  this  work,  but  are  very  doubtful  and  suspicious  of 
it,  they  will  be  very  likely  to  do  their  people  a  great  deal  more 
hurt  than  good  ;  for  the  very  fame  of  such  a  great  and  ex- 
traordinary work  of  God,  if  tiieir  people  were  suffered  to  be- 
lieve it  to  be  his  work,  and  the  example  of  other  towns,  to- 
gether with  what  preaching  they  might  hear  occasionally, 
would  be  likely  to  have  a  much  greater  influence  upon  the 
minds  of  their  people,  to  awaken  and  animate  them  in  re- 
ligion, than  all  their  labors  with  them  ;  and  besides  their 
minister's  opinion  would  not  only  beget  in  them  a  susx^icion  of 
the  work  they  hear  of  abroad,  whereby  tlie  mighty  hand  of 
God  that  appears  in  it,  loses  its  influence  upon  their  minds, 
but  it  will  also  tend  to  create  a  suspicion  of  everything  of 
the  like  nature,  that  shall  appear  among  themselves,  as  being 
something  of  the  same  distemper  that  is  to  become  so  epi- 
demical in  the  land,  and  that  is,  in  effect,  to  create  a  suspi- 
cion of  all  vital  rehgion,  and  to  put  the  people  upon  talking 
against  it,  and  discouraging  it,  wherever  it  appears,  and 
kiocking  it  in  the  head  as  fast  as  it  rises.  And  we  that  are 
ministers,  by  looking  on  this  work,  fi-om  year  to  year,  with  a 
displeased  countenance,  shall  effectually  keep  the  sheep  from 
their  pasture,  instead  of  doing  the  part  of  shepherds  to 
them,  by  feeding  them  ;  and  our  people  had  a  gi-eat  deal 
better  be  without  any  settled  minister  at  all  at  such  a  day  as 
this." 

Others  have  been  more  public,  and  aimed  at  exerting  a 
wider  influence.  Some  have  written  pieces  for  the  pubKo 
papers.  Some  men  in  high  standing  in  the  church  have  cir- 
culated letters  which  never  were  printed.  Others  have  had 
their  letters  printed  and  circulated.  There  seems  to  hf-ve 
been  a  system  of  letter-writing  about  the  country  calculated 
to  Glycate  chstrusi  In  the  days  of  President  Edwards,  ^  b- 
stantially  the  same  course  was  pursued,  in  view  of  which  e 
says  in  his  work  on  revivals  : 


enn)KRANr!ES  to  revtvaia  f  7f 

•*  Great  care  shotild  be  taken  that  the  press  should  be  im- 
proved  to  no  purpose  contrary  to  the  interests  of  this  work. 
We  read  that  when  God  fought  against  Sisera,  for  the  de- 
liverance of  his  oppressed  church,  they  that  handle  the  pen  of 
ike  writer  came  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  in  that  affair. — Judges 
V.  14  Whatever  sort  of  men  in  Israel  they  were  that  were 
intended,  yet  as  the  words  were  indited  by  a  Spirit  that  had 
a  perfect  view  of  all  events  to  the  end  of  the  world,  and  had  a 
special  eye  in  this  song,  to  that  great  event  of  the  deliver- 
ance of  God's  church,  in  the  latter  days,  of  which  this  de- 
liverance of  Israel  was  a  type,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  they 
have  respect  to  authors,  those  that  should  fight  against  the 
kingdom  of  Satan  with  their  pens.  Those  therefore  that 
pubUsh  pamphlets  to  the  disadvantage  of  this  work,  and 
tending  either  directly  or  indirectly  to  bring  it  under  suspi- 
cion, and  to  discourage  or  hinder  it,  would  do  well  tho- 
roughly to  consider  whether  this  be  not  indeed  the  work  of 
God,  and  whether,  if  it  be,  it  is  not  likely  that  God  will  go 
forth  as  fire,  to  consume  aU  that  stand  in  his  way,  and  so 
bum  up  those  pamphlets  ;  and  whether  there  be  not  danger 
thal^  the  fire  that  is  kindled  iq  them  will  scorch  the  authors.** 

AU  these  must  repent  God  never  will  forgive  them,  nor 
will  they  ever  enjoy  his  blessing  on  their  preaching,  or  be 
honored  to  labor  in  revivals  till  they  repent.  This  duty 
President  Edwards  pressed  upon  ministers  in  his  day,  in  the 
most  forcible  terms.  There  doubtless  have  been  now,  as 
there  were  then,  faults  on  both  sidea  And  there  must  be 
deep  repentance,  and  mutual  confessions  of  faults  on  both 
sides. 

"  There  must  be  a  great  deal  done  at  confessing  of  faults, 
on  both  sides  ;  for  undoubtedly  many  and  great  are  the 
faults  that  have  been  committee^  in  the  jangling  and  confu- 
sions, and  mixtures  of  light  and  darkness,  that  have  been  of 
late.  There  is  hardly  any  duty  more  contrary  to  our  corrupt 
dispositions,  and  mortifying  to  the  pride  of  man  ;  but  it 
must  be  done.  Repentance  of  faults  is,  in  a  pecuhar  man- 
ner, a  proper  duty,  when  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand, 
or  when  we  especially  expect  or  desire  that  it  should  come, 
as  appears  by  John  the  Baptist's  preaching.  And  if  God 
does  now  loudly  call  upon  us  to  repent,  then  he  also  calls 
upon  us  to  to  make  proper  manifestations  of  our  repentanca 
I  am  persuaded  that  those  that  have  openly  opposed  this 
work,  or  have  from  time  to  time  spoken  lightly  of  it,  cannot 
be  excused  in  the  sight  of  God,  without  openly  confessing 
their  fault  therein,  especiallv  i^  t?>^y  be  ministers.      If  thej 


S80  HrNDEBAKCBS   TO    RBTTVAIA. 

have  any  way,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  opposed  the  work, 
or  have  so  behaved  in  their  pubhc  perfoiTnances  or  privat 
conversation,  as  has  prejudiced  the  minds  of  their  peopk 
against  the  work,  if  hereafter  they  shall  be  convinced  of  the 
goodness  and  divinity  of  what  they  have  opposed,  they  ought 
by  no  means  to  palliate  the  matter,  and  excuse  themselves, 
and  pretend  that  they  always  thought  so,  and  that  it  was 
only  such  and  such  ijaprudences  that  they  objected  against, 
but  they  ought  openly  to  declare  their  conviction,  and  con- 
demn themselves  for  what  they  have  done  ;  for  it  is  Christ 
that  they  have  spoken  against,  in  speaking  Hghtly  of,  and 
prejudicing  others  against  this  work  ;  yea,  worse  than  that, 
it  is  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  though  they  have  done  it  igno- 
rantly,  and  in  unbeHef,  yet  when  they  find  out  who  it  is  thai 
they  have  opposed,  undoubtedly  God  will  hold  them  bound 
publicly  to  confess  it. 

"  And  on  the  other  side,  if  those  that  have  been  zealous  to 
promote  the  work,  have  in  any  of  the  forementioned  instances 
openly  gone  much  out  of  the  way,  and  done  that  which  is 
contrary  to  Cliristian  rules,  whereby  they  have  openly  injured 
others,  or  greatly  violated  good  order,  and  so  done  that 
which  has  wounded  rehgion,  they  must  publicly  confess  it, 
and  humble  themselves,  as  they  would  gather  out  the  stones, 
and  prepare  the  way  of  God's  people.  They  who  have  laid 
great  stumbhng  blocks  in  others'  way,  by  their  open  transgres- 
sion^ are  bound  to  remove  them,  by  their  open  repentance,'* 

There  are  ministers  in  our  day,  I  say  it  not  in  unkindness 
but  in  faithfulness,  and  I  would  that  I  had  them  all  here  be- 
fore me  while  I  say  it,  who  seem  to  have  been  engaged  much 
of  their  time  for  years  in  doing  httle  else  than  acting  and 
talking  and  writing  in  such  a  way  as  to  create  suspicion  in 
regard  to  revivals.  And  I  cannot  doubt  that  their  churches 
would,  as  President  Edwards  says,  be  better  with  no  minis- 
ter  at  all,  unless  they  will  repent,  and  regain  his  blessing. 

2.  Those  churches  which  have  opposed  revivals  must  humble 
themselves  and  repent.  Churches  which  have  stood  aloof  or 
hindered  the  work  must  repent  of  their  sin,  or  God  will  not 
go  with  them.  Look  at  those  churches  now,  who  have  been 
throwing  suspicion  upon  revivals.  Do  they  enjoy  revivals  ? 
Does  the  Holy  Ghost  descend  upon  them,  to  enlarge  them 
and  build  them  up  ?  There  is  one  of  the  churches  in  this 
city,  where  the  session  have  been  pubHshing  in  the  news- 
papers what  they  call  their  "  Act  and  Testimony,"  calculated 
to  excite  an  unreasonable  and  groundless  suspicion  against 
many  ministers  who  are  laboring  successfully  to  promote  re- 


HINDERANCEB   TO    EEVTTAIA.  281 

▼ivaJfl.  And  what  is  the  state  of  that  church?  Have  they 
had  a  revival  ?  Why  it  appears  from  the  official  report  to 
the  General  Assembly,  that  it  has  dwindled  in  one  year 
twenty-seven  per  cent.  And  all  such  churches  will  continue 
to  dwindle,  in  spite  of  everything  else  that  can  be  done,  un- 
less they  repent  and  have  a  revival.  They  may  pretend  to 
be  mighty  pious,  and  jealous  for  the  honor  of  God,  but  God 
will  not  believe  they  are  sincere.  And  he  will  manifest  his 
displeasure,  by  not  pouring  out  his  Spirit.  If  I  had  a  voice 
loud  enough,  I  should  like  to  make  every  one  of  these 
churches  and  ministers  that  have  slandered  revivals,  hear  me, 
when  I  say,  that  I  beheve  they  have  helped  to  bring  the  pall 
of  death  over  the  church,  and  that  the  curse  of  God  is  on 
them  aheady,  and  will  remain  unless  they  repent  God  has 
already  sent  leanness  into  their  souls,  and  many  of  them 
know  it 

3.  Those  who  have  been  engaged  in  promoting  i?ie  work  must 
also  repent  Whatever  they  have  done  that  was  wrong  must 
be  repented  of,  or  revivals  will  not  return  as  in  days  past 
Whenever  a  wrong  spirit  has  been  manifested,  or  they  have 
got  uTitated  and  provoked  at  the  opposition,  and  lost  their 
temper,  or  mistaken  Christian  faithfulness  for  hard  words 
and  a  wrong  spirit,  they  must  repent  Those  who  are  op- 
posed could  never  stop  a  revival  alone,  unless  those  who  pro- 
mote it  get  wrong.  So  we  must  repent  if  we  have  said  things 
that  were  censorious,  or  proud,  or  arrogant,  or  severe.  Such 
a  time  as  this  is  no  time  to  stand  justifying  ourselves.  Our 
first  call  is  to  repent  Let  each  one  repent  of  his  own  sins, 
and  not  fall  out,  and  quarrel  about  who  is  most  to  blame. 

_^4t^ThechurQk'myst-^  take  rigJU  ground  in  regard  to  politics.  Do 
not  suppose,  now,  that  I  am  going  to  preach  a  pohtical  ser- 
mon, or  that  I  wish  to  have  you  join  and  get  up  a  Christian 
party  in  politics.  No,  I  do  not  beheve  in  that  But  the  time 
has  come  that  Christians  must  vote  for  honest  men,  and  take 
consistent  ground  in  politics,  or  the  Lord  will  curse  them. 
They  must  be  honest  men  themselves,  and  instead  of  voting 
for  a  man  because  he  belongs  to  their  party  Bank  or  Anti- 
Bank,  Jackson,  or  Anti-Jackson,  they  must  find  out  whether 
he  is  honest  and  upright,  and  fit  to  be  trusted.  They  must 
let  the  world  see  that  the  church  will  uphold  no  man  in 
office,  who  is  known  to  be  a  knave,  or  an  adulterer,  or  a  Sab- 
bath-breaker, or  a  gambler,  or  a  drunkard.  Such  is  the 
spread  of  inteUigence  and  the  facility  of  communication  in 
our  country,  that  every  man  can  know  for  whom  he  gives  his 
Tota     And  if  he  will  give  his  vote  only  for  honest  men,  the 


t8S  HINDERANCES   TO    EBVITAIil. 

country  will  be  obliged  to  have  upright  rulers.  All  parties 
will  be  compelled  to  put  up  honest  men  as  candidates. 
Christians  have  been  exceedingly  guilty  in  this  matter.  But 
the  time  has  come  when  they  must  act  differently,  or  God 
will  curse  the  nation,  and  vrithdraw  his  spirit.  As  on  the 
subject  of  slavery  and  temperance,  so  on  this  subject,  the 
church  must  act  right  or  the  country  will  be  ruined.  God 
cannot  sustain  this  free  and  blessed  country,  which  we  love 
and  pray  for,  unless  the  church  will  take  right  ground-  Pol- 
itics are  a  part  of  religion  in  such  a  coimtry  as  this,  and 
Christians  must  do  their  duty  to  the  country  as  a  part  of  their 
duty  to  God.  It  seems  sometimes  as  if  the  foundations  of 
the  nation  were  becoming  rotten^  and  Christians  seem  to  act 
as  if  they  thought  God  did  not  see  what  they  do  in  politics. 
But  I  tell  you,  he  does  see  it,  and  he  will  bless  or  curse  this 
nation,  according  to  the  course  they  take. 

5.  The  churches  must  take  right  grounds  on  the  subject  of  sla- 
very. And  here  the  question  arises,  what  is  right  ground  ? 
And  FmsT  I  will  state  some  things  that  should  be  avoided. 

(1.)  First  of  all,  a  bad  spirit  should  be  avoided.  Nothing 
is  more  calculated  to  injure  religion,  and  to  injui-e  the  slaves 
themselves,  than  for  Christians  to  get  into  an  angry  contro 
versy  on  the  subject.  It  is  a  subject  upon  which  there  needs 
to  be  no  angry  controversy  among  Chnstians.  Slave-holding 
professors,  hke  rum-selling  professors,  may  endeavor  to  justi- 
fy themselves,  and  may  be  angry  with  those  who  press  their 
consciences,  and  call  upon  them  to  give  up  their  sins.  Those 
proud  professors  of  religion  who  think  a  man  to  blame,  or 
think  it  is  a  shame  to  have  a  black  sMn,  may  allow  their  pre- 
judices so  far  to  prevail,  as  to  shut  their  ears,  and  be  dis- 
posed to  quarrel  with  those  who  urge  the  subject  upon  them. 
But  I  repeat  it,  the  subject  of  slavery  is  a  subject  upon  which 
Christians,  praying  men,  need  not  and  7nust  not  differ. 

(2.)  Another  thing  to  be  avoided  is  an  attempt  to  take  neu- 
tral ground  on  this  subject  Christians  can  no  more  take 
neutral  gi-ound  on  this  subject,  since  it  has  come  up  for  dis- 
cussion, than  they  can  take  neutral  ground  on  the  subject  of 
the  sanctification  of  the  Sabbath.  It  is  a  great  national  sio. 
It  is  a  sia  of  the  church.  The  churches  by  their  silence,  and 
by  permitting  slaveholders  to  belong  to  their  communion, 
have  been  consenting  to  it.  All  denominations  have  been 
more  or  less  guilty,  although  the  Quakers  have  of  late  years 
washed  their  hands  of  it  It  is  in  vain  for  the  churches  to 
pretend  it  is  merely  a  poHtical  sin.  I  repeat  it,  it  is  the  sin 
of  the  church,  tc  which  all  denominations  have  consented 


HINDER ANCES   TO    REVIYAIA  388 

They  have  virtually  declared  that  it  is  lawfuL  The  very  fact 
of  suffering  slaveholders  quietly  to  remain  in  good  standing 
in  theii'  churches,  is  the  strongest  and  most  public  expression 
of  their  views  that  it  is  not  sin.  For  the  church,  therefore, 
to  pretend  to  take  neutral  ground  on  the  su]:)ject,  is  perfectly 
absurd.  The  tact  is  that  she  is  not  on  neutral  ground  at  alL 
While  she  tolerates  slaveholders  in  her  communion  SHE 
JUSTIFIES  THE  PRACTICE.  And  as  weU  might  an  ene- 
my  of  God  pretend  that  he  was  neither  saint  nor  sinner,  that 
he  was  going  to  take  neutral  ground,  and  pray  "  good  Lord 
and  good  devil,"  because  he  did  not  know  which  side  would 
be  most  popular. 

(3.)  Great  care  should  be  taken  to  avoid  a  censorious  spirit 
on  both  sides.  It  is  a  subject  on  which  there  has  been,  and 
probably  wiU  be  for  some  time  to  come,  a  difference  of  opinion 
among  Christians,  as  to  the  best  method  of  disposing  of  the 
question.  And  it  ought  to  be  treated  with  great  forbearance 
on  both  sides.  A  denunciatory  spirit,  impeaching  each  other's 
motives,  is  unchristian,  calculated  to  grieve  the  Spirit  of  God, 
and  to  put  down  revivals,  and  is  alike  injurious  to  the  church, 
and  to  the  slaves  themselves. 

In  the_8EC0ND  place,  I  will  mention  several  things,  that  in 
my  judgment  the  church  are  imperatively  called  upon  to  do,  i 
on  this  subject : 

(1.)  Christians  of  all  denominations,  should  lay  aside  pre- 
judice and  inform  themselves  on  this  subject,  without  any  de- 
lay. Vast  multitudes  of  professors  of  religion  have  indulged 
prejudice  to  such  a  degi*ee,  as  to  be  unwilling  to  read  and 
near,  and  come  to  a  right  understanding  of  the  subject.  But 
Christians  cannot  pray  in  tliis  state  of  mind.  I  defy  any  one 
to  possess  the  spuit  of  prayer,  while  he  is  too  prejudiced  to 
examine  this,  or  any  other  question  of  duty.  If  the  Ught  did 
not  shine.  Christians  might  remain  in  the  dark  upon  this 
point,  and  still  possess  the  spu-it  of  prayer.  But  if  they  re- 
fuse to  come  to  the  light ^  they  cannot  pray.  Now  I  call  upon 
all  you  who  are  here  present,  and  who  have  not  examined 
this  subject  because  you  were  indisposed  to  examine  it,  to 
say  whether  you  have  the  spirit  of  prayer.  Where  ministers, 
individual  Chiistians,  or  whole  churches,  resist  truth  upon 
this  point  now,  when  it  is  so  extensively  diffused  and  before 
the  public  mind,  I  do  not  believe  they  will  or  can  enjoy  a  re- 
vival of  rehgion. 

(2.)  Writings,  containing  temperate  and  judicious  discaa- 
sions  on  this  subject,  and  such  developments  of  facts  as  are 
before  the  pubhc,  should  be  quietly  and  extensivelv  circulated. 


284  HINT>ERANCES   TO    REVTVAL8- 

and  shoulcl  be  carefully  and  prayerfully  examined  by  the 
whole  church.  I  do  not  mean  by  this,  that  the  attention  of 
the  chui'ch  should  be  so  absorbed  by  this,  as  to  neglect  the 
main  question,  of  savmg  souls  in  the  midst  of  them.  I  do 
not  mean  that  such  premature  movements  on  this  subject 
should  be  made,  as  to  astound  the  Christian  commumt;y',  and 
involve  them  in  a  broil ;  but  that  praying  men  should  act 
judiciously,  and  that,  as  soon  as  sufficient  information  can 
be  diffused  through  the  community,  the  churches  should 
meekly,  but  fibmly  take  decided  ground  on  the  subject,  and 
express  before  the  whole  nation  and  the  world,  their  abhor- 
rence of  this  sin. 

The  anti-masonic  excitement  which  prevailed  a  few  years 
since,  made  such  desolations  in  the  churches,  and  produced 
for  a  time  so  much  alienation  of  feeling  and  ill  wiU  among 
ministers  and  people,  and  the  first  iutroduction  of  this  sub- 
ject has  been  attended  with  such  commotions,  that  many 
good  ministers,  who  are  themselves  entirely  opposed  to  slav- 
ery, dread  to  introduce  the  subject  among  their  people, 
through  fear  that  their  churches  have  not  rehgion  enough  to 
take  it  up,  and  consider  it  calmly,  and  decide  upon  it  ia  the 
spirit  of  the  Gospel  I  know  there  is  danger  of  this.  But 
still  the  subject  must  be  presented  to  the  churches.  And  if 
introduced  with  discretion,  and  with  great  prayer,  there  are 
very  few  churches  that  have  enjoyed  revivals,  and  that  are  at 
the  present  time  anywhere  near  a  revival  spirit,  which  may 
not  be  brought  to  receive  the  truth  on  this  subject.  Let  their 
be  no  mistake  here.  William  Morgan's  expose  of  freemasonry 
was  pubhshed  in  1826.  The  consequent  excitement  and  dis- 
cussion continued  until  1830.  In  the  mean  time  the  churches 
had  very  generally  borne  their  testimony  against  freemasonry, 
and  resolved  that  they  could  not  fellowship  adhering  masona 
As  a  consequence  the  Masonic  Lodges  generally  disbanded 
and  gave  up  their  charters.  There  was  a  general  stampede 
of  professed  Christians  fi-om  the  lodges.  This  prepared  the 
way,  and  in  1830,  the  greatest  revival  the  world  had  then 
ever  seen  commenced  in  the  center  of  the  anti-masonic  region, 
and  spread  over  the  whole  field  where  the  church  action  had 
been  taken  until  its  converts  numbered  100,000  souls. 

Perhaps  no  church  in  this  country  has  had  a  more  severe 
trial  upon  this  subject  than  this.  They  were  a  church  of 
young  and  for  the  most  part  inexperienced  Christiana  And 
many  cu-cmnstances  conspired,  in  my  absence,  to  produce  con- 
fusion and  wrong  feehng  among  them.  But  so  far  £is  I  am 
now  acquainted  with  the  state  of  feeling  in  this  churdi,  I 


HINBERANCKH   TO    REVIVALft.  985 

know  of  no  ill  wiU  among  them  on  thia  subject  The  Lord 
has  blessed  us,  the  Spirit  has  been  distilled  upon  us,  and  con- 
siderable nimibers  added  to  our  commimion  every  month 
since  my  return.  There  are  doubtless  in  this  church  those 
who  feel  on  this  subject  in  veiy  different  degrees.  And  yet  I 
can  honestly  say  that  I  am  not  aware  of  the  least  difference 
in  SimtimerU  among  them.  We  have  from  the  beginning,  pre- 
fjcwi*  ^o  my  going  on  my  foreign  tour,  taken  the  same 
ground  on  the  subject  of  slavery  that  we  have  on  tempei> 
ance.  We  have  excluded  slaveholders  and  all  concerned  in 
the  traffic  from  our  communion.  By  some  out  of  this  church 
this  course  has  been  censured  as  unwarrantable  and  unchari- 
table, and  I  would  by  no  means  make  my  ovm  judgment,  or 
the  example  of  this  church,  a  rule  for  the  government  of 
other  ministers  and  churches.  Still,  I  conscientiously  beheve 
that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  churches  will  be 
united  in  this  expression  of  abhorrence  against  this  sin.  If  I 
do  not  baptize  slavery  by  some  soft  and  Christian  name,  if  I 
caU  it  SIN,  both  consistency  and  conscience  conduct  to  the 
inevitable  conclusion,  that  while  this  sin  is  persevered  in,  its 
perpetrators  cannot  be  fit  subjects  for  Christian  communion 
and  fellowship. 

To  this  it  is  objected,  that  there  are  many  ministers  in  the 
Presbyterian  church  who  are  slaveholders.  And  it  is  said  to 
be  very  inconsistent  that  we  should  refuse  to  suffer  a  slave- 
holder to  come  to  our  communion,  and  yet  belong  to  the 
3ame  church  with  them,  sit  with  them  in  ecclesiastical  boches, 
and  acknowledge  them  as  ministers.  To  this  I  answer,  that 
I  have  not  the  power  to  deal  with  those  ministers,  and  cer- 
tainly I  am  not  to  withdi'aw  from  the  church  because  some  of 
its  ministers  or  members  are  slaveholders.  My  duty  i^  to  be- 
long to  the  church,  even  if  the  devil  belong  to  it.  Where  I 
haw  autJijorili/,  I  exclude  slaveholders  from  the  commimion, 
and  I  always  will  as  long  as  I  Hve.  But  where  I  have  no  au- 
thority, if  the  table  of  Christ  is  spread,  I  will  sit  down  to  it, 
in  obedience  to  his  commandment,  whoever  else  may  sit  down 
or  stay  away. 

I  do  not  mean,  by  any  means,  to  denoimce  aU  those  slave- 
holding  ministers  and  professors  as  hypocrites,  and  to  say 
that  they  are  not  Christians.  But  this  I  say,  that  while 
they  continue  in  that  attitude,  the  cause  of  Clirist  and  of 
humanity  demands,  that  they  should  not  be  recognized  as 
such,  unl<3ss  we  mean  to  be  partakers  of  other  men's  sina 
It  is  no  more  inconsistent  to  exclude  slaveholdei*s  because 
they  belong   to  the  Presbyterian   church,  than  it  is  U)  ex 


t89  HLXDEEANCES   TO    REVTVA.L». 

dude  persons  wlio  drink  or  sell  ardent  spirits.  For  there 
are  a  great  many  mm-sellers  belonging  to  the  Presbyterian 
churck 

I  beheve  the  time  has  come,  and  although  I  am  no  prophet, 
I  believe  it  will  be  found  to  have  come,  that  the  revival  in  the 
United  States  will  continue  and  prevail,  no  farther  and  faster 
than  the  church  take  right  ground  upon  this  subject.  The  ^^ 
church  are  God's  witnesses.  ^e  fact  te^that  slaYfiry,k,.pj:©-  ._..,^ 
eminently,  the  §iri  (ftJw_Ghurch.  It  is  the  very  fact  that  min-  --^^^ 
isters"and  professors  of  religion  of  different  denominations 
hold  slaves,  which  sanctifies  the  whole  abomination,  in  the 
eyes  of  ungodly  men.  Who  does  not  know  that  on  the 
subject  of  temperance  every  drunkard  in  the  land  will  skulk 
behind  some  rum-seUing  deacon,  or  wine-drinking  minister  ? 
It  is  the  most  common  objection  and  refuge  of  the  intem- 
perate., and  of  moderate  drinkers,  that  it  is  practised  by  pro- 
fessors of  religion.  It  is  this  that  creates  the  imperious  neces- 
sity for  excluding  traffickers  in  ardent  spirit,  and  rum-drink- 
ers from  the  communion.  Let  the  churches  of  all  denomina- 
tions speak  out  on  the  subject  of  temperance  ;  let  them  close 
their  doors  against  all  who  have  anything  to  do  with  the 
death-dealing  abomination,  and  the  cause  of  temperance  is  tri- 
umphant. A  few  years  would  annihilate  the  traffic  Just  so 
with  slavery. 

It  is  the  chiu'ch  that  mainly  supports  this  sin.  Her 
united  testimony  upon  this  subject  would  settle  the  ques- 
tion. Let  Christians  of  all  denominations  meekly  but  firmly 
come  forth,  and  pronounce  their  verdict  ;  let  them  clear 
their  communions,  and  wash  their  hands  of  this  thing ;  let 
them  give  forth  and  write  on  the  head  and  front  of  this 
great  abomination,  SIN !  and  in  thi-ee  years  a  pubhc  senti- 
ment would  be  formed  that  would  carry  all  before  it,  and 
there  would  not  be  a  shackled  slave,  nor  a  bristling,  cruel 
slave-driver  in  this  land. 

StiU  it  may  be  said,  that  in  many  churches,  this  subject 
cannot  he  mtroduced  without  creating  confusion  and  ill-wilL 
This  may  be.  It  has  been  so  upon  the  subject  of  temper- 
ance, and  upon  the  subject  of  revivals  too.  In  some 
chui-ches,  neither  temperance  nor  revivals  can  be  inti-oduced 
without  producing  dissension.  Sabbath-schools,  and  mis- 
sionary operations,  and  everything  of  the  kind  have  been  op- 
posed, aDd  have  produced  dissensions  in  many  churches. 
But  is  this  a  sufficient  reason  for  excluding  these  subjects  ? 
And  where  churches  have  excluded  these  subjects  for  fear  of 
tsontention,  have  they  been  blessed  with  revivals?    Every 


hutdkeances  to  BEvnrALa  887 

body  knows  that  they  have  not  But  where  chiirches  have 
taken  firm  ground  on  these  subjects,  although  individuals  and 
sometimes  numl^ers  have  opposed,  still  they  have  been 
blessed  with  revivals.  Where  any  of  these  subjects  are 
carefully  and  prayei-fully  introduced ;  where  they  are  brought 
forward  with  a  right  spirit,  and  the  tnie  relative  importance 
is  attached  to  each  one  of  them  ;  if  in  such  cases,  there  are 
those  who  will  make  disturbance  and  resist,  let  the  blame  faU 
where  it  ought.  There  are  some  individuals,  who  are  themselves 
disposed  to  quan-el  with  this  subject,  who  are  always  ready 
to  exclaim,  "  Do  not  introduce  these  things  into  the  church, 
they  will  create  opposition."  And  if  the  minister  and  pray- 
ing people  feel  it  their  duty  to  bring  the  matter  forward,  they 
will  themselves  create  a  disturbance,  and  then  say,  "  There,  I 
told  you  so  ;  now  see  what  your  introducing  this  subject  has 
done  ;  it  wiU  tear  the  church  aU  to  pieces."  And  while 
they  are  themselves  doing  all  they  can  to  create  division, 
they  are  charging  the  division  upon  the  subject,  and  not 
upon  themselves.  There  are  some  such  people  in  many 
of  our  churches.  And  neither  Sabbath-schools,  nor  mis- 
sions, nor  revivals,  nor  anti-slavery,  nor  an\i;hing  eLse  that 
honors  God  or  benefits  the  souls  of  men,  wiil  be  carried  in 
the  churches,  without  these  careful  souls  being  offended 
by  it 

These  things,  however,  have  been  uitroduced,  and  carried, 
one  by  one,  in  some  churches  with  more,  and  others  with  less 
opposition,  and  perhaps  in  some  churches  with  no  opposition 
at  alL  And  as  true  as  God  is  the  God  of  the  church,  as  cer- 
tain as  that  the  world  must  be  converted,  this  subject  must 
be  considered  and  pronounced  sin  by  the  church.  There 
might,  infinitely  better,  be  no  church  lq  the  world,  than  that 
she  should  attempt  to  remain  neutral  or  give  a  false  testi- 
mony on  a  subject  of  such  importance  as  slavery,  especially 
since  the  subject  has  come  up,  and  it  is  impossible  from  the 
nature  of  the  case,  that  her  testimony  should  not  be  in  the 
scale,  on  the  one  side  or  the  other. 

Do  you  ask,  "  What  shall  be  done — shall  we  make  it  the 
all-absorbing  topic  of  conversation,  and  divert  attention  from 
the  all-important  subject  of  the  salvation  of  souls  in  the 
midst  of  us?"  I  answer.  No.  Let  a  church  express  her 
opinion  upon  the  subject,  and  be  at  peace.  So  far  as  ] 
know,  we  are  entirely  at  peace  upon  this  subject  We  have 
expressed  our  opinion  ;  we  have  closed  our  communion 
against  slaveholders,  and  are  attending  to  other  things.  I 
am  not  aware  of  the  laaat  unhealthy  excitement  among  of 


S88  HXN^DBRAJSrCBS    TO    KEVIVAIA 

on  tliis  subject  And  wiiere  it  has  become  an  absorbing 
topic  of  conversation  in  a  place,  in  most  instances  I  believe  it 
h-Lts  been  owing  to  the  pertinacious  and  unreasonable  oppo 
sition  of  a  few  individuals  against  even  granting  the  subject  a 
healing. 

6.  If  the  church  wishes  to  promote  revivals,  she  rrmst  sano 
tify  the  Sabbath.  There  is  a  vast  deal  of  Sabbath-breaJdng  in 
the  land-  Merchants  break  it,  travellers  break  it,  the  Govern- 
ment breaka  it.  A  few  years  ago  an  attempt  was  made  in  the 
western  part  of  this  State,  to  establish  and  sustain  a  Sabbath- 
keeping  line  of  boats  and  stages.  But  it  was.  found  that  the 
ohurch  would  not  sustain  the  enterprise.  Many  professors  of 
religion  would  not  travel  in  these  stages,  and  would  not  have 
their  goods  forwarded  in  canal-boats  that  would  be  detained 
from  travelling  on  the  Sabbath.  At  one  time,  Christiana 
were  much  engaged  in  petitioning  Congress  to  suspend  the 
Sabbath  mails,  and  now  they  seem  to  be  ashamed  of  it  But 
one  thing  is  most  certain,  that  unless  something  is  done,  and 
done  speedily,  and  done  effectually,  to  promote  the  sanctifi- 
cation  of  the  Sabbath  by  the  church,  the  Sabbath  vnll  go  by 
the  board,  and  we  shall  not  only  have  our  mails  running  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  post-offices  open,  but  by  and  by  our  courts 
of  justice  and  haUs  of  legislation  will  be  kept  open  on  the 
Sabbath.     And  what  can  the  church  do,  what  will  this  nation 

do,  WITHOUT  ANT  SaBBATH  ? 

7.  The  church  must  take  right  ground  on  the  subject  of 
Temperance  and  Moral  Reform,  and  all  the  subjects  of  prao- 
tical  morality  which  come  up  for  decision  from  time  to  time. 

There  are  those  in  the  churches  who  are  standing  aloof 
from  the  subject  of  Moral  Reform,  and  who  are  afraid  to  have 
anything  said  in  the  pulpit  against  lewdness.  On  this  sub- 
ject the  church  need  not  expect  to  be  permitted  to  take 
neutral  ground.  In  the  providence  of  God,  it  is  up  for  dis- 
cussion. The  evils  have  been  exhibited,  the  caU  has  been 
made  for  reform.  And  what  is  to  reform  mankind  but  the 
truth?  And  who  shall  present  the  truth  if  not  the  church 
and  the  ministry  ?  Away  v^ith  the  idea  that  Christians  can 
remain  neutral  and  keep  still,  and  yet  enjoy  the  approbation 
and  blessing  of  God- 
In  all  such  cases,  the  minister  who  holds  his  peace  is 
counted  among  those  on  the  other  side.  Everybody  knows 
that  it  is  so  in  a  revival.  It  is  not  necessary  for  a  person  to 
raU  out  against  the  work.  If  he  only  keeps  stiU  and  takes 
neutral  ground,  the  enemies  of  the  revival  wiU  all  consider 
him  as  on  their  sidia.     So  on  the  subject  of  tem{>erauca     Ji 


BtlNDEBANCES   TO    EKVIVAIJ3.  389 

B  not  needful  that  a  person  should  rail  at  the  cold-water  so- 
ciety, in  order  to  be  on  the  best  terms  with  dmnkards  and 
moderate  drinkers.  Only  let  him  plead  for  the  moderate  use 
jf  wine,  only  let  him  continue  to  chink  it  as  a  luxm^,  and  all 
the  drunkards  account  hun  on  their  side.  If  he  refuses  to 
give  his  influence  to  the  temperance  cause,  he  is  claimed  of 
com-se  by  the  other  side  as  a  fi'iend  On  all  these  subjects, 
when  they  come  up,  the  churches  and  ministers  must  take 
the  right  ground,  and  take  it  openly  and  stand  to  it,  and  car- 
ry it  through,  if  they  expect  to  enjoy  the  blessing  of  God  in 
revivals.  They  must  cast  out  fi'om  their  communions  such 
members,  as  in  contempt  of  the  hght  that  is  slied  upon  them, 
continue  to  drink  or  traffic  in  ardent  spirits. 

8.  There  must  be  more  done  for  oR  iJw  great,  objects  of  Ghn^ 
Han  benevolence.  There  miist  be  much  greater  efforts  for  the 
cause  of  missions,  and  education,  and  the  Bible,  and  all  the 
other  branches  of  religious  enterprise,  or  the  chui'ch  will  dis- 
please God.  Look  at  it  Think  of  the  mercies  we  have  re- 
ceived, of  the  wealth,  numbers  and  prosperity  of  the  church- 
Have  we  rendered  unto  God  according  to  the  benefits  we 
have  received,  so  as  to  show  that  the  church  is  bountiful  and 
willing  to  give  their  money  and  to  work  for  God  ?  No.  Fai 
from  it.  Have  we  multiplied  our  means  and  enlarged  our 
plans,  in  proportion  as  the  church  has  increased  ?  Is  God 
satisfied  with  what  has  been  done,  or  has  he  reason  to  be  ? 
Such  a  revival  as  has  been  enjoyed  by  the  churches  of  America 
for  the  last  ten  years  I     We  ought  to  have  done  ten  times  as 

^imuch  as  we  have  for  missions,  "Bibles,  education,  tracts,  free 
chui'ches, 'and  in  aU  the  ways  designed  to  promote  religion 
and  save  souls.  If  the  churches  do  not  wake  up  on  this  sub- 
ject,  ahd'Tay'^emselves  out  on  a  larger  scale,  they  may  ex- 
pect the  revival  in  the  United  States  will  cease. 

9.  If  Christians  in  the  United  States  expect  revivals  to 
spread,  and  prevail,  tiU  the  world  is  convertec^  they  must  give 
up  writing  letters  and  pubhshing  pieces  calculated  to  excite 
suspicion  and  jealousy  in  regard  to  revivals^  and  must  take 
hold  of  the  work  themselves.  If  the  whole  church  as  a  body 
had  gone  to  work  ten  years  ago,  and  continued  it  as  a  few 
individuals,  whom  I  could  name,  have  done,  there  would  not 
now  have  been  an  impenitent  siuner  in  the  land  The  mil- 
lennimn  would  have  fully  come  in  the  United  States  before  this 
day.  Instead  of  standing  still,  and  writing  letters  from  Berk- 
shire, let  ministers  who  think  we  are  going  wrong,  just  buckle 
on  the  harness  and  go  forward,  and  ahow  us  a  more  exoellent 
way.     Let  them  teach  us  by  their  example  how  to  do  better, 

13 


2iN)  HrWDERANCHS   TO   REVIVALB. 

I  do  not  deny  that  some  may  have  made  mistakes,  and  ooitt 
mitted  errors.  I  do  not  deny  that  there  are  many  thingg 
which  are  wrong  done  in  revivals  by  some  persons.  But  is 
that  the  way  to  correct  them,  brethren  ?  So  did  not  PauL 
He  corrected  his  brethren  by  teUing  them  kindly  that  he  would 
show  them  a  more  excellent  way.  Let  our  brethren  take  hold 
and  go  forward.  Let  us  hear  the  cry  from  all  their  pulpits. 
To  THE  WORK-  Let  them  lead  on,  where  the  Lord  will  go  with 
them  and  make  bare  his  ai-m,  and  I,  for  one,  will  foUow. 
)nly  let  them  GO  ON,  and  let  us  have  the  United  States  con-  /j 
ferted  to  God,  and  let  all  minor  questions  cease.  * 

If  not,  and  if  revivals  do  cease  in  this  land,  the  ministers 
and  churches  will  be  guilty  of  all  the  blood  of  all  the  souls 
that  shall  go  to  heU  in  consequence  of  it.  There  is  no  need 
that  the  work  should  cease.  If  the  church  will  do  aU  her  ' 
duty,  the  millennium  may  come  in  this  country  in  three  years.  ' 
But  if  this  writing  letters  is  to  be  kept  up,  filliiig"tEe' country 
with  suspicions  and  jealousies,  if  it  is  to  be  always  so,  that 
two-thirds  of  the  church  will  hang  back  and  do  nothing  but 
find  fault  in  time  of  revival,  the  curse  of  God  will  be  on  this 
nation,  and  that  before  long. 

REMARKS. 

1.  It  is  high  time  there  should  be  great  searchings  of  heart 
among  Christians  and  ministers.  Brethren,  this  is  no  time  to 
resist  the  truth,  or  to  cavil  and  find  fault  because  the  truth  is 
spoken  out  plainly.  It  is  no  time  to  recriminate  or  to  strive, 
but  we  must  search  our  own  hearts,  and  humble  ourselves  be- 
fore God. 

2.  We  must  repent  and  forsake  our  sins,  and  amend  our 
ways  and  our  doings,  or  the  revival  will  cease.  Our  ecclesi- 
astical difficulties  SlUST  CEASE,  and  all  minor  differences 
must  be  laid  aside  and  given  up,  to  unite  in  promoting  the 
gi'eat  interests  of  rehgion.  If  not,  revivals  wiU  cease  from 
among  us,  and  the  blood  of  lost  milUons  will  be  found  in  our 
skirts. 

If  the  church  would  do  all  her  duty,  she  would  soon  com- 
plete the  triumph  of  religion  in  the  world.  But  if  this  Act 
and  Testimony  warfare  is  to  be  kept  up,  and  this  system  of 
espionage,  and  insinuation  and  denunciation,  not  only  will 
revivals  cease,  but  the  blood  of  milhons  who  wiU  go  to  hell 
before  the  church  will  get  over  the  shock,  will  be  found  in  the 
skirts  of  the  men  who  have  got  up  and  carried  on  this  dread 
fol  oonteution. 


HINDEBANCBS   TO    BETITAUI.  S01 

4  Those  who  have  cii-culated  slanderous  reports  in  regard 
to  revivals,  must  repent.  A  gi'eat  deal  has  been  said  about 
heresy,  and  about  some  men's  denying  the  Spirit's  influence, 
which  is  wholly  groundless,  and  has  been  made  up  out  of 
nothing.  And  those  who  have  made  up  the  reports,  and  those 
who  have  circulated  them  against  their  brethren,  must  repent 
and  pray  to  God  that  they  may  receive  his  forgiveness. 

5.  We  see  the  constant  tendency  there  is  in  Christians  to  de- 
densioii  and  backsliding.  This  is  true  in  all  converts  of  aU 
revivals.  Look  at  the  revival  in  President  Edwards*  day. 
The  work  went  on  till  30,000  souls  had  been  converted,  and 
by  this  time  so  many  ministers  and  Christians  got  in  such  a 
state,  by  writing  books  and  pamphlets,  on  one  side  and  the 
other,  that  they  carried  all  by  the  board,  and  the  reviva. 
ceased-  Those  who  had  opposed  the  work  grew  obstinate 
and  violent^  and  those  who  promoted  it  lost  their  meekness 
and  got  ill-tempered,  and  were  then  driven  into  the  very  evil* 
that  had  been  falsely  charged  upon  them. 

And  now,  what  shall  we  do  ?  This  great  and  glorious  work 
of  God  seems  to  be  indicating  a  decline.  The  revival  is  not 
dead — blessed  be  God  for  that — it  is  not  dead !  No,  we  hear 
from  all  parts  of  the  land  that  Christians  are  reading  on  the 
subject  and  inquiring  about  the  revival  In  some  places  there 
are  now  powerful  revivals.  And  what  shall  we  do,  to  lift  up 
the  standard,  to  move  this  entire  nation  and  turn  all  this 
great  people  to  the  Lord?  We  must  DO  RIGHT.  We  must 
all  have  a  better  spirit,  we  must  get  down  in  the  dust,  we 
must  act  unitedly,  we  must  take  hold  of  this  great  work  with 
all  our  hearts,  and  then  God  will  bless  us,  and  the  work  will 
go  on. 

What  is  the  condition  of  this  nation  ?  No  doubt,  God  is 
holding  the  rod  of  WAR  over  the  heads  of  this  nation.  He 
is  waiting  before  he  lets  loose  his  judgments,  to  see  whether 
the  church  will  do  right  The  nation  is  under  his  displeasure, 
because  the  church  has  conducted  in  such  a  manner  with  re- 
spect to  revivals.  And  now  suppose  war  should  come,  where 
would  be  our  revivals  ?  How  quickly  would  war  sw^ow  up 
the  revival  spirit.  The  spirit  of  war  is  anything  but  the  spirit 
of  revivals.  Who  will  attend  to  the  claims  of  religion,  when 
the  public  mind  is  engrossed  by  the  all-absorbing  topic  of 
war.  See  now,  how  this  nation  is,  all  at  07ice,  brought  upon 
the  brink  of  war.  God  brandishes  his  blazing  sword  over 
our  heada  W^ill  the  church  repent?  It  is  THE  CHURCH 
that  God  chiefly  has  in  view.  How  shall  we  avoid  the  curse 
of  war?    Only  by  a  reformation  in  the  church.     It  is  in  vaic 


t98  HTN^DEBANCES  TO   REVIVALS. 

to  look  to  politicians  to  avei-t  war.  Perhaps  they  would  gen- 
erally be  in  favor  of  war.  Very  likely  the  things  they  would 
do  to  avert  it  would  run  us  right  into  it.  K  the  church  will 
not  feel,  will  not  awake,  will  not  act,  where  shall  we  look  for 
help?  If  the  chui'ch  absolutely  loill  not  move,  will  not  trem 
ble  in  view  of  the  just  judgments  of  God  hanging  over  our 
heads,  we  are  certainly  nigh  unto  cursing,  as  a  nation. 

6.  Whatever  is  done  rmist  be  done  quickly.  The  scale  is  on 
a  poise.  If  we  do  not  go  forward,  we  must  go  back.  Things 
cannot  remain  as  they  are.  If  the  church  do  not  come  up,  if 
we  do  not  have  a  more  powerful  revival  than  we  have  had, 
very  soon  we  shall  have  none  at  alL  We  have  had  such  a 
great  revival,  that  now  small  revivals  do  not  iuterest  the  pub- 
lic mind.  You  must  act  as  iudividuala  Do  your  own  duty. 
You  have  a  responsibility.  Repent  quickly.  Do  not  wait  till 
another  year.  Who  but  God  knows  what  will  be  the  state  oi 
these  churches,  if  things  go  on  another  year  without  a  great 
and  general  revival  of  rehgion  ? 

7.  It  is  common,  when  things  get  all  wrong  in  the  church, 
for  each  individual  to  find  fault  with  the  church,  and  with  his 
brethren,  and  overlook  his  own  share  of  the  blame.     Do  not 

•  let  any  one  spend  his  time  in  finding  fault  with  that  abstract 
\  thing,  "The  Church."  But  as  individual  members  of  the 
church  of  Christ,  let  each  one  act,  and  act  right,  and  get 
down  iu  the  dust,  and  never  speak  proudly,  or  censoriously. 
GO  FORWAED.  Who  would  leave  such  a  work,  and  go  tc 
writing  letters,  and  go  down  into  the  plain  of  Ono,  and  see  if 
all  these  petty  disputes  cannot  be  adjusted,  and  let  the  work 
cease.  Let  us  mind  our  work,  and  let  the  Lord  take  care  of 
the  rest     Do  our  duty,  and  leave  the  issue  to  God. 

Since  these  lectures  were  dehvered  great  progress  has  been 
made  in  all  benevolent  enterprises  in  this  country.  Time  has 
settled  the  question  of  the  purity  and  inestimable  value  of 
those  revivals,  against  which  so  much  mistaken  opposition  ex- 
isted iu  the  Presbyterian  church.  It  is  now  known  that  the 
great  and  disastrous  reaction  predicted  by  cpposers  has  not 
been  witnessed.  It  must  now  be  admitted  that  the  converts 
yf  those  revivals  have  composed  the  strengtli  of  the  churches, 
and  that  their  Christian  mfluence  has  been  felt  throughout 
the  land.  No  revivals  have  ever  existed  the  power  and  purity 
of  which  have  been  jnore  thoroughly  estabhslied  by  time  and 
dxperience,  than  that  gi'eat  and  blessed  work  of  God,  against 
which  such  a  storm  of  opposition  was  raised.  The  opposi- 
tion was  evidently  a  gi-eat  mistake.     Let  it  not  be  said  thftt 


HINDEBANCKH   TO    EEVTVALS.  898 

the  opposition  was  demanded  by  the  great  evils  attending 
that  work,  tmd  that  those  evils  and  errors  were  arrested  and 
corrected  by  that  opposition.  The  fact  is  that  the  supposed 
errors  and  evils  that  were  made  the  justification  of  the  oppo- 
sition, never  existed  to  any  such  extent  as  to  justify  alarm  or 
opposition.  I  have  written  a  narrative  of  those  revivals,  in 
which  I  have  considered  this  question  more  fully.  The 
churches  did  take  hold  of  temperance  and  other  branches  of 
reform  to  such  an  extent  as  to  avoid  those  evils  against  which 
they  were  w^imed.  Upon  the  question  of  slavery^  tlie  chiirch 
was  too  late  in  her  testunony  to  avoid  the  war.  But  the 
Blaveholders  were  much  alarmed  and  exasperated  by  the  con- 
etantly  growing  oppositi»)u  to  their  institution  throughout  all 
that  region  of  the  north  where  revival  influences  had  been 
felt  They  took  up  anns  to  defend  and  perpetuate  tba 
tbomination,  and  by  so  doing  abolished  it. 


LECTURE    XVI. 

THE   NEdESSTrr   AND   EETEC5T   OP  UNION. 

Tkxt.— Again  I  say  unto  you,  That  If  two  of  you  shall  agree  on  earth,  as  tctidl^i^ 
mything  that  they  shall  ask,  It  shall  be  done  for  them  of  my  Father  which  is  .n  1m%- 
yen.— Matthbw  xviii.  19. 

Some  weeks  since,  I  used  this  text,  in  preaching  on  the  sub- 
ject of  prayer  meetings.  At  present  I  design  to  enter  more 
into  the  spirit  and  meaning  of  the  text  The  evident  desigii 
of  our  Lord  in  this  text  was  to  teach  the  importance  and  in- 
fluence of  union  in  prayer  and.  effort  to  promote  rehgion.  He 
states  the  strongest  possible  case  by  taking  the  number  tiuo, 
as  the  least  number  between  whom  tiiere  can  be  an  agreement, 
and  says  that  "where  two  of  you  are  agreed  on  earth,  as 
touching  anything  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done  for 
them  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  It  is  the  fact  of 
their  agreement,  upon  which  he  lays  the  stress,  and  mention- 
ing the  number  two,  appears  to  have  been  designed  merely 
to  afford  encouragement  to  the  smallest  number  between 
whom  there  can  be  an  agreement.  But  what  are  we  to  under^ 
stand  by  being  "  agreed  as  touching"  the  things  we  shall  ask  ? 
I  will  answer  this  question  under  the  two  following  heads  : 

L  By  showing  that  we  are  to  be  "  agi-eed"  in  prayer. 

EL  We  are  to  agree  in  everything  that  is  essential  to  ob- 
taining the  blessing  that  we  seek. 

L  In  order  to  come  within  this  promise,  we  are  to  be 
agreed  in  prayer.  This  is  particularly  taught  in  the  text. 
That  is, 

1.  We  should  agree  in  our  desires  for  the  object.  It  is  ne- 
cessary to  have  desires  for  the  object,  and  to  be  agreed  in  those 
desires.  Very  often  individuals  pray  in  words  for  U\e  same 
thing,  when  they  are  by  no  means  agreed  in  desuing  that 
thing.  Nay,  perhaps  some  of  them,  in  their  hearts  desire 
the  very  opposite.  People  are  called  on  to  pray  for  an  object, 
and  they  all  pray  for  it  in  words,  but  God  knows  they  often 
do  not  desire  it,  and  perhaps  he  sees  that  the  hearts  of  some 
may,  all  the  while,  be  resisting  &e  prayer. 

i.  We  must  agree  in  the  motive  from  which  we  desire  the 
(294) 


THE    NECBB8ITY    AND    EFFECT    OF    UNION.  295 

object.     It  is  not  enough  that  onr  desires  for  an  object  sbonld 

be  the  same,  but  the  reason  why  must  be  the  sama  An  in- 
dividual may  desire  a  revival,  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
salvation  of  sinners.  Another  member  of  the  church  may 
also  deske  a  revival,  but  from  very  dififerent  motives.  Some, 
perhaps,  desire  a  revival  in  order  to  have  the  congregation 
built  up  and  strengthened,  so  a.s  to  make  it  more  easy  for 
them  to  pay  tlieir  expenses  in  supporting  the  Gospel  Another 
desii'es  a  revival  for  the  sake  of  having  the  church  increased 
so  as  to  be  more  numerous  and  more  respectable.  Others 
desire  a  revival  because  they  have  been  opposed  or  evil  spoken 
of,  and  they  wish  to  have  their  enemies  know  that  whatever 
they  may  thJTik  or  say,  Ood  blesses  them.  Sometimes  people 
desire  a  revival  from  mere  natural  affection,  so  as  to  have 
their  friends  converted  and  saved.  If  they  mean  to  be  so 
united  in  prayer  as  to  obtain  a  blessing,  they  must  not  only 
desire  the  blessing,  and  be  Eigreed  in  desiring  it,  but  they  must 
also  agree  in  desiring  it  for  the  same  reasons. 

3.  We  must  be  agreed  in  desiring  it  for  good  reasons.  These 
desires  must  not  only  be  united,  and  from  the  same  motives,  • 
but  they  must  be  fi-om  good  motives.  The  supreme  motive  * 
must  be  to  honor  and  glorify  God.  People  may  even  desire 
a  revival,  and  agree  in  desiring  it,  and  agree  in  the  motives, 
and  yet  if  these  motives  are  not  good,  God  wiU  not  grant  their 
desirea  Thus  parents  may  be  agreed  in  prayer  for  the  con- 
version of  their  children,  and  may  have  the  same  feelings  and 
the  same  motives,  and  yet  if  they  have  no  higher  motives  than 
because  they  are  their  children,  their  prayers  will  not  be 
granted.  They  are  agreed  in  the  reason,  but  it  is  not  the 
right  reason.  j 

In  like  manner,  any  number  of  persons  might  be  agreed  in 
their  desires  and  motives,  but  if  their  motives  are  sehish,  their 
being  agreed  in  them  will  only  make  them  more  offensive  to 
God.  "  How  is  it  that  ye  have  agreed  together  to  tempt  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  ?"  I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  this,  where 
churches  have  been  engaged  in  prayer  for  an  object,  and  their 
motives  were  evidently  selfish-  Sometimes  they  are  engaged 
in  praying  for  a  revival,  and  you  would  think  by  their  earnest- 
ness and  union  that  they  would  certainly  move  God  to  grant 
the  blessing,  till  you  find  out  the  reason.  And  what  is  it  ? 
Why,  they  see  their  congregation  is  about  to  be  broken  up, 
unless  something  can  be  dona  Or  they  see  some  other  de- 
nomination gaining  ground,  and  there  is  no  way  to  counter 
act  them  but  by  having  a  revival  in  their  church.  And  aL' 
their  prating  is  only  an  attempt  to  gft  the  Almighty  in  U 


296  THK    JSTECESSITY    AND    EFFECT   OF    UITIOJff. 

help  them  out  of  their  difficulty,  and  is  purely  selfish  and 
offensive  to  God.  A  woman  in  Philadelphia,  was  invited  to 
attend  a  female  prayer  meeting  at  a  certain  place.  She  in- 
quired what  they  met  there  for,  and  for  what  they  were  goiog 
to  pray  ?  She  was  answered  that  they  were  going  to  pray  for 
the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  city.  "  Well,"  said  she, 
"  I  shall  not  go  ;  if  they  were  going  to  pray  for  our  conqregar 
Hon  I  would  go,  but  I  am  not  goiag  there  to  pray  for  other 
churches !"     Oh,  what  a  spirit ! 

I  have  had  a  multitude  of  letters  and  requests  that  I  should 
visit  such  and  such  places,  and  endeavor  to  promote  a  revival, 
and  many  reasons  have  been  urged  why  I  should  go,  but  when 
I  came  to  weigh  their  reasons,  I  have  sometimes  found  every 
one  of  them  selfish.  And  God  would  look  upon  eveiy  one 
with  abhorrence. 

In  prayer  meetiogs,  how  often  do  we  hear  people  offer  such 
reasons  why  they  desire  such  and  such  blessiugs,  as  are  not 
right  ia  the  sight  of  God.  Such  reasons,  that  if  they  are  the 
true  ones,  and  if  Christians  are  actually  excited  by  those  rea- 
sons, it  would  render  their  prayers  not  acceptable  to  God, 
oecause  their  motive  was  not  right 

There  are  a  great  many  things  often  said  in  favor  of  the 
cause  of  missions,  which  are  of  this  character,  appeaUng  to 
wrong  motives.  How  often  are  we  told  of  six  hundi*ed  mil- 
lions of  heathens,  who  are  in  danger  of  goiog  to  heU,  smdhow 
little  is  said  of  the  guilt  of  six  hundred  milhons  engaged  and 
banded  together  as  rebels  against  God,  or  of  the  dishonor  and 
contempt  poured  upon  God  our  Maker  by  such  a  world  of 
outlaws.  Now  I  know  that  God  refers  to  those  motives  which 
appeal  to  our  mere  natural  sympathies,  and  compassion,  and 
uses  them,  but  always  ia  subordination  to  his  glory.  K  these 
lower  motives  are  placed  foremost,  it  must  always  produce  a 
defective  piety  and  zeal,  and  a  great  deal  that  is  false.  Until 
the  church  will  look  at  the  dishonor  done  to  God,  little  will 
be  done.  It  is  this  which  must  be  made  to  stand  out  before 
the  world,  it  is  this  which  must  be  deeply  felt  by  the  church, 
it  is  this  which  must  be  fully  exhibited  to  sinners,  before  the 
world  can  ever  be  converted. 

Parents  never  agree  iQ  praying  for  the  con\\jrsion  of  their 
cluldi-en  m  such  a  way  as  to  have  their  prayers  answered,  un- 
til they  feel  that  then*  children  are  rebels.  Parents  often  pray 
Tery  earnestly  for  their  childi*en  because  they  wish  God  to 
save  them,  and  they  almost  think  hard  of  God  if  he  does  not 
save  their  children-  But  if  they  would  have  their  prayera 
prevail,  they  must  come  to  take  God's  part  against  their  chil 


THE    STECESSITY    A-NT)    EFFECT    OT     TmOHf.  297 

dren,  even  though  for  their  perrerseness  and  inconigiblG 
wickedness  he  should  be  obHged  to  send  them  to  hell  I 
knew  a  woman  who  was  veiy  anxious  for  the  salvation  of  her 
son,  and  ahe  used  to  pray  for  him  with  agony,  but  sliU  he  re- 
mained uni)eniterit,  until  at  length  she  became  convinced  that 
her  prayers  and  agonies  had  been  nothing  but  the  fond  yearn- 
ings of  parental  feeling,  and  were  not  chctiited  at  all  by  a  just 
Tiew  of  her  son's  chai-acter  as  a  wilful  and  wicked  rebel  against 
God.  And  there  was  never  any  impression  made  on  his  mind 
until  she  was  made  to  take  strong  ground  against  him  as  a 
rebel,  and  to  look  on  him  as  deseiTing  to  be  sent  to  hell.  And 
then  he  was  converted.  The  reason  was,  she  never  before 
was  influenced  by  the  right  motive  in  prayer,  desirmg  his  sal- 
vation with  a  supreme  regard  to  the  glory  of  God. 

4.  If  we  would  be  so  united  as  to  prevail  in  prayer,  we  must 
agree  in  faith.  That  is,  we  must  concur  in  expecting  the 
blessing  prayed  for.  We  must  understand  the  reason  why  it 
is  to  be  expected,  we  must  see  the  evidence  on  which  faith 
ought  to  rest,  and  must  absolutely  believe  that  the  blessing 
v\'ill  come,  or  v^e  do  not  bring  ourselves  within  the  promise. 
Faith  is  always  understood  as  an  indispensable  conchtion  of 
prevailing  prayer.  If  it  is  not  expressed  in  any  particular 
case,  it  is  always  implied,  for  no  prayer  can  be  effectual  but 
that  wiiich  is  offered  in  faith.  And  in  order  that  united -prsijei 
may  prevail,  there  must  be  united  faith. 

5.  So,  again,  we  must  be  agreed  as  to  the  time  when  we  de- 
sire the  blessing  to  come.  If  two  or  more  agi'ee  in  desiring  a 
particular  blessing,  and  one  of  them  desires  to  have  it  come 
noWj  while  others  are  not  ready  to  have  it  quite  yet,  it  is  plain 
they  are  not  agi-eed.  They  are  not  united  in  regard  to  one 
essential  point  If  the  blessing  is  to  come  in  answer  to  their 
united  prayer,  it  must  come  as  they  prayed  for  it.  And  if  it 
comes,  it  must  be  at  some  time.  But  if  they  disagree  as  to 
the  time  when  they  wiU  have  it,  plainly  it  can  never  come  in 
answer  to  their  prayer. 

Suppose  a  chiu*ch  should  undertake  to  pray  for-  a  revival, 
and  should  be  all  agreed  in  desiring  a  revival,  but  not  as  to 
the  time  when  it  shall  he.  Suppose  some  wish  to  have  the 
revival  come  now,  and  ai-e  all  prepared,  and  their  hearts 
waiting  for  the  Spiiit  of  God  to  come  down,  and  are  wihiug 
to  give  time  and  attention  and  labor  to  it  NOW  ;  but  othei*s 
are  not  quite  ready,  they  have  something  else  to  attend  to  at 
present,  some  worldly  object  which  thuy  want  to  accomplish, 
some  piece  of  business  in  hjuid  and  want  just  to  tiuish  this 
thing,  and  then — but  tliey  cannot  possibly  find  time  to  atteud 
13* 


298  THE    JTBCKSSITT   AHTD   JEBTIOCT   OF    ITNIOIT. 

to  ib  now,  they  are  not  prepared  to  humble  themselves,  tu 
search  their  hearts  and  break  up  their  fjillow  gi'ound,  and  put 
themselves  in  a  posture  to  receive  the  blessing.  Is  it  not  plain 
that  here  is  no  real  union,  for  they  are  not  agreed  in  that 
which  is  essential  ?  While  one  part  are  praying  that  the  re- 
vival may  come  now,  the  others  are  praying  with  equal  ear 
nestness  that  it  may  not  come  now. 

Suppose  the  question  were  now  put  to  this  church,  whether 
you  are  agreed  in  praying  for  a  revival  of  religion  here  ?  Do 
you  all  desire  a  revival,  and  would  you  all  Hke  to  have  it  come 
now  ?  Would  you  be  heartily  agreed  now  to  break  down  in 
the  dust,  and  open  your  hearts  to  the  Holy  Ghost  if  he 
should  come  to-night  ?  I  do  not  ask  what  you  would  say,  if 
I  should  propose  the  question.  Perhaps  if  I  should  put  it  to 
vou  now,  you  would  all  rise  up  and  vote  that  you  were  agreed 
m  desiring  a  revival,  and  agreed  to  have  it  now.  You  know 
how  you  ought  to  feel  and  what  you  ought  to  say,  and  you 
know  you  ought  to  be  ready  for  a  revival  now.  But,  I  ask, 
would  GOD  see  it  to  be  so  in  your  hearts,  that  you  are  agreed 
on  this  point?  Has  there  been  a  time,  since  I  came  back 
from  the  country,  that  this  church  were  all  agreed  in  desiring 
and  praying  for  a  revival,  and  in  wishing  to  have  it  come 
now  ?  Have  any  tiuo  of  you  agreed  on  this  point,  and  prayed 
accordingly?  If  not,  when  will  you  be  agreed  to  pray  for  a 
revival  ?  And  if  this  chui'ch  cannot  be  agreed  among  your- 
selves, how  can  you  expect  a  revival  ?  It  is  of  no  use  for  you 
to  take  the  outward  attitude,  and  stand  up  here  and  say  you 
are  agreed,  when  God  reads  the  heart,  and  sees  that  you  are 
not  agreed  Here  is  the  promise — "  Again  I  say  unto  you, 
That  if  two  of  you  shaU  agree  on  earth,  as  touching  anything 
that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done  for  them  of  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven.'*  Now  this  is  either  true,  or  it  is  false. 
Which  ground  will  you  take  ?  If  it  is  true,  then  it  is  true 
that  you  are  not  agreed,  and  never  have  been,  except  in  those 
cases  where  you  have  had  a  revival. 

But  we  must  agree  not  only  upon  a  time,  but  it  must  be 
the  present  time,  or  we  ai-e  not  agi*eed  in  everything  essential 
to  the  work.  Unless  we  agree  to  have  the  revival  now^  we 
shaU  not  now  use  the  means.  But  until  the  means  are  used, 
it  cannot  come.  It  is  plain,  then,  that  we  must  be  agreed 
upon  the  present  time,  that  is,  we  are  not  agreed  in  the  sense 
of  the  text,  until  we  agree  that  now  we  will  have  the  bless- 
ing, and  conduct  accordingly.  To  agree  upon  a  future  time 
is  of  no  use,  for  when  that  future  time  comes,  we  must  then 
be  agreed  upon  that  present  time,  and  use  means  accordingly, 


THE   NEOESSmr   AND    EFFECT   OF    ITNIOIf.  599 

BO  that  yon  see  you  are  never  properly  agreed  until  yon 
agree  that  now  is  the  time. 

n.  We  are  to  agree  in  everything  that  is  essential  to  ob- 
taining the  blessing  that  we  seek. 

You  see  the  language  of  the  text,  "If  two  of  you  shaU 
agree  as  ionching  anything  that  they  shall  asL"  Many  people 
seem  to  read  it  as  if  it  referred  merely  to  an  agreement  in 
asking,  and  they  understand  it  to  promise,  that  whenever  two 
are  agreed  in  aildng  for  any  blessing,  it  shall  be  given.  But 
Clirist  says  there  must  be  an  agreement  "  as  touching "  the 
thing  prayed  for.  That  is,  the  agreement  or  union  must 
comprise  everything  that  is  essential  to  the  bestowment  and 
reception  of  the  blessing. 

1.  If  Christians  would  enjoy  the  benefits  of  this  promise 
in  prajdng  for  a  revival,  they  must  be  agreed  in  believing  revi- 
vals of  religion  to  he  a  reality.  Tliere  axe  many  individuals, 
even  in  the  church,  who  do  not  in  their  hearts  believe  that 
the  revivals  which  take  place  are  the  work  of  God.  Some  of 
them  may  pray  in  words  for  an  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  and 
a  revival  of  religion,  while  in  their  hearts  they  doubt  whether 
there  are  any  such  things  known  in  modem  times.  In  united 
prayer  there  must  be  no  hypocrisy. 

2.  They  must  agree  in  feeling  the  necessity  of  revivals. 
There  are  some  who  beheve  in  the  reahty  of  revivals,  as  a 
work  of  God,  while  at  the  same  tune  they  are  unsettled  as  to 
the  necessity  of  having  them  in  order  to  the  success  of  the 
Gospel  They  think  there  is  a  real  work  of  God  in  revivals, 
but  after  all,  perhaps  it  is  quite  as  well  to  have  sinners  con- 
verted and  brought  into  the  church  in  a  more  quiet  and 
gradual  way,  and  without  so  much  excitement  Whenever 
revivals  are  abroad  in  the  land,  and  prevail,  and  are  popular, 
they  may  appear  in  favor  of  them,  and  may  put  up  their  col(? 
prayers  for  a  revival,  while  at  the  same  time  they  would  be 
sorry  on  the  whole  to  have  a  revival  come  among  them.  They 
think  it  so  much  safer  and  better  to  indoctrinate  the  people, 
and  spread  the  matter  before  them  in  a  calm  way,  and  so 
bring  them  in  gradually,  and  not  run  the  risk  of  having 
animal  feehng  or  wild-fire  in  their  congregations. 

3.  They  must  be  agreed  in  regard  to  the  importance  of  revi- 
vals.  Men  ai'e  not  blessed  with  revivals,  in  answer  to  prayers 
that  are  not  half  in  earnest.  They  must  feel  the  infinite  im- 
portance of  a  revival  before  they  wiU  pray  so  as  to  prevail 
Blessmgs  of  this  kind  are  not  granted  but  in  answer  to 
Buch  prayers  as  arise  fi'om  a  sense  of  their  importance.  As 
I  have  shown  before,  when  preaching  on  the  subject  of  pr©- 


sew  THE   NEfJESSITT    ATH)    EFFECT   OP    mnOH. 

Tailing  prayer,  it  is  when  men  desire  the  blessing  with  UN- 
UTTERABLE AGONY,  that  they  offer  such  prayer  as  will 
infalHbly  prevail  with  God  Those  who  feel  less  of  the  ini« 
portance  of  a  revival  may  pray  for  it  in  words,  but  they  will 
never  have  the  blessing.  But  when  a  chui-ch  has  been  united 
in  prayer,  and  really  felt  the  importance  of  a  revival,  they 
never  have  failed  of  having  one.  I  do  not  believe  a  case  oin 
be  found  of  such  a  church  being  turned  empty  away.  Such 
an  agreement,  when  sincere,  will  secure  an  agreement  also  on 
all  other  subjects  that  are  indispensable. 

4.  They  must  be  agreed  also  in  having  correct  scriptural  no- 
tions about  several  things  connected  with  revivals, 

(1.)  The  necessity  of  divine  agency  to  produce  a  revivaL  It 
is  not  enough  that  they  all  hold  this  in  theory,  and  pray  for 
it  in  words.  They  must  fully  understand  and  deeply  feel  this 
necessity,  they  must  realize  their  entire  dependence  on  the 
Spirit  of  God,  or  the  whole  will  fail 

(2.)  PF%  divine  agency  is  necessary.  There  must  be  an 
agreement  on  correct  principles  in  regard  to  the  reason  that 
divine  agency  is  so  indispensable.  If  they  get  wrong  ideas 
on  this  point,  they  will  be  hindered.  If  Christians  get  the 
idea  that  this  necessity  of  divine  influence  Ues  in  the  inabiliiy 
of  sinners,  or  if  they  feel  as  if  God  was  under  obhgation  t,o 
give  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  order  to  make  sinners  able  to  obey 
the  Gospel,  they  insult  God,  and  their  prayers  will  not  avail 
For  in  that  case  they  must  feel  that  it  is  a  mere  matter  of 
common  justice  for  God  to  pour  out  his  Spirit,  before  he  can 
justly  require  Christians  to  work,  or  sinners  to  repent. 

Suppose  a  church  get  the  idea  that  sinners  are  poor,  unfoiv 
tunate  creatures,  who  come  into  the  world  with  such  a  nature 
that  they  can  not  help  sinning,  and  that  sinners  are  just  as 
enable  to  repent  and  balieve  the  Gospel  as  they  are  to  fly  to 
the  moon,  how  can  they  feel  that  the  sinner  is  a  rebel  against 
God,  and  that  he  deserves  to  be  sent  to  heU  ?  How  can  they 
feel  that  the  sinner  is  to  blame  ?  And  how  can  they  take  God's 
part  when  they  pray  ?  If  they  do  not  take  God's  part  against 
the  simier,  they  cannot  expect  God  will  regard  their  prayers, 
for  they  do  not  pray  with  right  motives.  No  doubt  one  great 
reason  why  so  many  prayers  are  not  answered,  is  that  thosi 
who  pray  do  in  fact  take  the  sinner's  part  against  God.  The% 
pray  as  if  the  sinner  was  a  poor  unfoi*tunate  Jeing,  to  be  pit* 
led,  rather  than  as  if  he  was  a  gmlty  wretcn,  to  be  blamed 
And  the  reason  is  that  they  do  not  believe  sinners  ai-e  able  to 
obey  God.  If  a  i^or^on  does  not  beUeve  that  sinners  are  able 
to  obey  their  Maker,  and  really  beUeves  that  the  Spirit's  influ 


THE    NECK881TT    AJTD    EFFECT    OF    UTSJOU,  301 

onces  are  necessary  to  make  him  able^  it  is  impossible,  -with 
these  views,  to  offer  acceptable  and  prevailing  prayer  f(  r  the 
sinner,  and  it  is  not  wonderfuJ  that  persons  with  these  views 
should  not  prevail  with  God,  and  should  doubt  about  the 
efficacy  of  the  prayer  of  faith. 

How  often  do  you  hear  peop]  e  pray  for  sinners  in  this  style, 
"  O  Lord,  help  this  poor  soul  to  do  what  he  is  recjuired  to  do — 
O  Lord,  enable  him  to  do  so  and  so."  Now  this  language 
imphes  that  they  take  the  sinner's  part,  and  not  God's.  If  it 
was  undei-stood  by  those  who  use  it,  as  it  is  sometimes  ex- 
plained, and  if  people  meant  by  it  what  they  ought  to  mean 
when  they  plead  for  sinners,  I  would  not  find  so  much  fault 
with  it  But  the  truth  is,  that  when  people  use  this  language, 
cney  often  mean  just  what  the  language  itself  would  be  natu 
rally  at  first  sight,  understood  to  mean,  which  is  just  as  if 
they  should  pray,  "Lord,  thou  wjmmande^t  these  poor  sin- 
ners to  repent,  when,  O  Lord,  thou  knowest  they  cannot  re- 
pent unless  thou  givest  them  thy  Spirit,  to  e)iable  them  to  do 
it,  though  thou  hast  declared  that  thou  wilt  send  them  to  hell 
if  they  do  not,  whether  they  ever  receive  the  Spirit  or  not ; 
and  now.  Lord,  this  seems  very  hard,  and  we  pray  thee  to 
have  pity  upon  these  poor  creatures,  ajid  do  not  deal  so  hard- 
ly wdth  them,  for  Christ's  sake."  Who  does  not  see  that 
such  a  prayer,  or  a  prayer  which  meam  this,  whatever  Ian- 
^lage  it  may  be  couched  in,  is  an  insult  to  God,  charging  him 
with  infinite  injustice,  if  he  continues  to  exact  from  sinners 
a  duty  which  they  are  unable  to  perform  without  that  aid 
which  he  will  not  grant  People  may  pray  in  this  way  till 
the  day  of  judgment,  and  never  obtain  a  blessing,  because 
they  take  the  sinners  part  against  God.  They  cannot  pray 
/successfully,  until  they  understand  tliat  the  sinner  is  a  rebel, 
)  and  obstinate  in  his  rebellion — so  obstinate  that  he  never  will, 
;  without  the  Holy  Spirit,  do  what  he  might  do  as  weU  as  not^ 
'.  instantly,  and  this  obstinacy  is  the  reason,  and  the  only  rea- 
\  son,  why  he  needs  the  inHuence  of  tlie  Holy  Spirit  for  his 
^conversion.  The  only  ground  on  which  the  sinner  needs 
di^dne  agency  is  to  overcome  his  obstinacy,  and  make  him 
wilhng  to  do  what  he  can  do,  and  what  God  justly  requires 
him  to  do.  And  a  church  are  never  in  an  attarude  in  which 
God  will  hear  their  united  prayers,  unless  they  aie  Jigreed  in 
so  understanding  their  dependence  on  God,  as  to  feel  it  in 
perfect  consistency  with  the  sinner's  bbmie.  If  it  is  the  other 
way,  tliey  are  agreed  in  understanding  it  wrong,  and  their 
prayers  for  divine  help  to  the  unfortunate  instead  of  divine 
f*».vor  to  m;ike  a  rebel  sub7i]it,  are  wide  of  the  mark,  are  sld 
mscli  to  God,  and  they  never  will  obtain  favor  in  i<pjftv«r 


•OS  THE    NECESSITY    ANT>    EFFECT    OP    UNION. 

(3.)  They  must  be  agreed  in  nnderstanding  that  revivals  an 
not  mircKiles,  but  that,  they  are  brought  about  by  the  use  of  rtieam 
Uke  other  events.  No  wonder  revivals  formerly  came  so  sel- 
dom and  continued  so  short  a  time,  when  peojjle  generally  re» 
garded  them  as  miracles,  or  hke  a  mere  shower  of  rain,  that 
will  come  on  a  place  and  continue  a  httle  while,  and  then  blow 
over ;  that  is,  as  something  over  which  we  have  no  control 
For  what  can  people  do  to  get  a  shower  of  rain  ?  Or  how 
can  they  make  it  rain  any  longer  than  it  does  rain?  It  is  ne- 
cessary that  those  who  pray  should  be  agreed  in  understand- 
ing a  revival  as  something  to  be  brought  about  by  means, 
or  they  never  will  be  agreed  in  using  them 

(4. )  They  must  be  agreed  in  understanding  that  human 
agency  is  just  as  indispensable  to  a  revival  as  divine  agency. 
Such  a  thing  as  a  revival  of  rehgion,  I  venture  to  say,  never 
did  occur  without  divine  agency,  and  never  did  occur  without 
human  agency.  How  often  do  people  say,  "  God  can,  if  he 
pleases,  carry  on  the  work  withmt  means."  But  I  have  no 
faith  in  it,  for  there  is  no  evidence  of  it.  What  is  rehgion  ? 
Obedience  to  God's  law.  But  the  law  cannot  be  obeyed  un- 
less it  is  known.  And  how  can  God  make  sinners  obey  but 
by  making  known  his  commandments  ?  And  how  can  he 
make  them  known  but  by  revealing  them  himself,  or  sending 
them  by  others— tliat  is,  by  brmging  THE  TEUTH  to  bear 
upon  the  person's  mind  till  he  obeys  it  God  never  did  and 
never  can  conveii  a  sinner  except  with  the  truth.  What  is 
conversion  ?  Obeying  the  ti'uth.  He  may  communicate  it 
himself,  directly  to  the  sinner.  But  then,  the  sinner's  own 
agency  is  indispensable,  for  conversion  consists  in  the  right 
employment  of  the  sinner's  own  agency.  And  ordinarily, 
he  employs  the  agency  of  others  also,  in  printing,  vtritiag, 
conversation,  and  preaching.  God  has  put  the  Gospel  tineas- 
ure  in  earthen  vessels.  He  has  seen  fit  to  employ  men  m 
preaching  the  word  That  is,  he  has  seen  that  human  agency 
is  that  which  he  can  best  employ  in  saving  sinners.  And  if 
there  ever  was  a  case,  of  which  we  have  no  evidence,  there  is 
not  one  in  a  thousand,  if  one  in  a  million,  converted  in  any 
other  way  than  through  the  truth,  made  known  and  urged 
by  human  instrumentaHty.  And  as  the  church  must  be 
united  in  using  those  means,  it  is  plainly  necessary  that  they 
should  be  united  in  understandmg  the  tme  reason  why 
means  are  to  be  used,  and  the  true  principles  on  which  they 
are  to  be  governed  and  applied- 

5.  It  is  important  that  there  should  be  union  in.  regard  to 
&e  measures  essential  to  the  promotion  of  a  revival.     Let  indi 


THE   KKCESSITT    AJTD    EFFECT    OF    UNION.  80S 

riduals  agree  to  do  anything  whatever,  and  if  they  are  not 
agreed  in  their  measures,  they  will  run  into  confusion,  and 
counteract  one  another.  Set  them  to  sail  a  ship,  and  they 
never  can  get  along  without  agreement  If  they  attempt  to 
do  business  as  merchants  when  they  are  not  agreed  in  their 
measures,  what  will  they  do  ?  Why,  they  will  only  undo  each 
other's  work,  and  thwart  the  whole  business  of  the  concern. 
All  this  is  pre-eminently  true  in  regard  to  the  work  of  pro- 
moting a  revival  Otherwise  the  members  of  the  church  will 
counteract  each  other's  influence,  and  they  need  not  expect  a 
revival. 

(1.)  The  church  must  be  agreed  in  regard  to  (he  meetings 
which  are  hdd,  as  to  what  meetings  shall  be  held,  and  how 
many,  and  where,  and  when  they  shall  be  held.  Some  people 
always  desire  to  multiply  meetings  in  a  revival,  as  if  the 
more  meetings  they  had,  the  more  religion.  Others  are 
always  opposed  to  any  new  meetings  in  a  revival  Some  are 
always  for  having  a  protracted  meeting,  and  others  are  never 
ready  to  hold  a  protra<jted  meeting  at  all.  "\Miatever  difl*er- 
ence  there  may  be,  it  is  essential  that  the  church  should  come 
to  a  good  understanding  on  the  subject,  so  that  they  can  go 
on  together  in  harmony,  and  labor  with  zeal  and  elTect, 

(2.)  They  must  be  agi'eed  as  to  t}ie  manner  of  conducting 
meetings.  It  is  necessary  that  the  church  should  be  united 
and  cordial  on  this  subject,  if  they  expect  to  offer  united 
prayer  with  effect  Sometimes  there  are  individuals  who 
want  to  adopt  every  new  thing  tliey  can  hear  of  or  imagine, 
while  others  are  totally  unwilling  to  have  an^i-hing  altered  in 
regard  to  the  management  of  the  meeting,  but  would  have 
everything  done  precisely  as  they  are  accustomed  to.  They 
ought  to  be  agreed  in  some  way,  either  to  have  the  meetings 
altered,  or  to  keep  them  on  in  the  old  way.  ITie  best  pos- 
sible way  is,  for  the  chui'ch  to  agree  in  this,  that  they  will 
let  the  meetings  go  on  and  take  their  course,  just  as  the  Spirit 
of  God  shapes  them,  and  not  even  attempt  to  make  two 
meetings  just  alike.  The  church  never  wUl  give  tlie  fullest 
effect  to  the  tmth  imtil  they  are  agreed  in  this  piinciple — 
that  in  promoting  a  revival  they  will  accommodate  their 
measures  to  chcmnstances,  and  not  attempt  to  interrupt  the 
xiatural  course  which  pious  feehng  and  sound  judgment  in- 
dicate, but  cast  themselves  entirely  upon  the  guidance  and 
direction  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  inti'oducing  any  measure,  at  any 
dme,  that  shall  seem  called  for  iu  the  Providence  of  God, 
mthout  laying  any  stress  upon  its  being  new  or  old. 

6    They  must  be  agreed  in  the  mmmer  of  dealino  miih  im 


S04  THB   NECESSITY    jLND    EFFECT   OF    UNIOH. 

penitent  sinners.  This  is  a  poiat  immensely  important,  thai 
the  church  should  be  agreed  in  their  treatment  of  sinners. 
Suppose  that  they  are  not  agreed,  and  one  wiU  tell  a  siuner 
one  thing  and  another  another.  What  confusion  I  How  can 
they  agree  in  prayer,  when  it  is  plain  that  they  are  not  agreed 
as  to  the  things  they  shall  pray  for.  Go  among  such  a 
church,  and  hear  them  pray  for  sinners.  Attend  a  prayer 
meetiug  and  listen.  Here  is  one  man  prays  that  the  sioners 
present  may  repent  Another  prays  that  they  may  be  con- 
victed, and  perhaps,  if  he  is  very  much  engaged,  will  go  so 
far  as  to  pray  that  they  may  be  deeply  convicted.  Another 
prays  that  shmers  may  go  home  solemn,  and  pensive,  and 
silent,  meditating  upon  the  truths  they  have  heard.  Another 
prays  in  such  a  manner,  that  you  can  see  he  is  afraid  to  have 
them  converted  now.  Another  prays  very  solemnly  that  they 
may  not  attempt  to  do  anything  in  their  own  strength.  And 
so  on.  How  easy  it  is  to  see  that  the  church  are  not  agreed 
as  touching  the  things  they  ask  for,  and  of  course  they  have 
no  interest  in  the  promise.  "• 

If  you  set  them  to  talk  with  sinners,  their  courses  would 
be  just  as  discordant,  for  it  is  plaiu  that  they  axe  not  agreed, 
and  have  no  clear  views  in.  regard  to  what  a  sinner  must 
do  to  be  saved,  or  of  wliat  ought  to  be  said  to  sinners,  to 
bring  them  to  repent  And  the  consequence  is,  that  sinners 
who  are  awakened  and  anxious,  presently  get  confoimded, 
and  do  not  know  what  to  do,  and  perhaps  give  it  all  up  in 
despair,  or  conclude  there  is  in  reahty  nothing  rational  or 
consistent  in  religion.  One  will  tell  the  sinner  he  must  refjent, 
immediately.  Another  will  give  him  a  book,  Doddridge's  Rise 
and  Progress  perhaps,  and  tell  him  to  read  that  book.  An- 
other win  tell  him  he  must  pray  and  persevere,  and  in  God's 
time  he  wiU  obtain  the  blessing.  A  revival  can  never  go  on 
for  any  length  of  time  amidst  such  difficulties.  If  it  begins, 
it  must  soon  nm  out ;  unless,  perhaps,  the  body  of  the 
church  will  keep  still  and  say  nothing  at  aU,  and  let  others 
carry  on  the  work.  And  there  the  work  will  suffer  materially 
for  want  of  their  co-operation  and  support.  A  chmxth  ought 
to  be  agreed.  Every  Clnistian  ought  to  have  a  clear  undei> 
standing  of  this  subject,  and  aU  speak  the  same  thing,  and 
give  the  same  directions.  And  then  the  sumer  will  find  no 
one  to  take  his  part,  and  can  get  no  rehef  or  comfort  till  he 
repents. 

7.  They  must  be  agreed  in  removing  the  impediments  to  a 
revival.  If  a  cliurch  expect  a  revival,  they  must  take  up 
tiie  stimibling  blocks  out  of  the  way. 


THE    NECES8  FT    AND    EFFECT    OF    TJIHON.  ^05 

(1.)  In  the  exercise  of  dif^cipUne.  If  there  axe  rotten  mem- 
oers  m  the  church,  they  should  be  removed,  and  the  church 
should  coll  agree  to  cut  them  ofit  If  tliey  remain  in  the 
chiu'ch.  they  are  such  a  reproach  to  religion,  as  to  hiader  a 
revival.  Sometimes  when  an  attempt  is  made  to  cast  them 
out,  this  creates  division,  and  thus  the  work  is  stopped. 
Sometimes  the  offenders  are  persons  of  influence,  or  they 
have  family  friends  who  wUl  take  their  pai't,  and  make  a 
party,  and  thus  create  a  bad  spirit,  and  prevent  a  revival 

(2.)  In  mutual  confesinons.  Whenever  wrong  has  been 
done  to  any,  there  should  be  a  fiiU  confession.  I  do  not 
mean  a  cold  and  forced  acknowledgment,  such  as  saying,  "  If 
I  have  done  wr'^ng,  I  am  sorry  for  it."  But  a  hearty  con- 
fession, going  the  full  length  of  the  wrong,  and  showing  that 
it  comes  out  of  a  broken  heart 

(3. )  Forgiijeness  of  enemies.  A  great  obstruction  to  revivals 
is  often  foimd  in  the  fact  that  active  and  leading  individuals 
harbor  a  revengeful  and  iroforgiving  spirit  towards  those  who 
have  injured  them,  which  destroys  their  spirituahty,  makes 
them  harsh  and  disagreeable  lq  their  manner,  and  prevents 
them  from  enjoying  either  cocnm^ciiaii  vtdth  God  ia  prayer, 
or  the  blessing  of  God  to  give  tiiv^,:}  success  in  labor.  But 
let  the  members  of  a  church  be  truly  agreed  in  breaking 
down  and  confessing  their  own  fruits,  and  in  cherishing  a 
tender,  merciful,  forgiving,  Christ-hke  spirit  toward  those  who 
they  think  have  done  them  wrong,  and  then  the  Spiiit  will 
come  down  upon  them  not  by  measure. 

8.  They  must  be  agreed  in  making  all  the  necefisary  prepara- 
tions for  a  revival.  They  should  be  agreed  in  having  all 
necessary  prepai-ation  made,  and  agreed  in  bearing  their  part 
of  the  labor  or  expense  of  making  ii  There  should  be  an 
equahty,  and  not  let  a  few  be  burdened  and  the  rest  do  little 
or  nothing,  but  every  one  his  proportion,  according  to  his 
several  ability.  Then  there  will  be  no  envying  nor  jealousy, 
nor  any  of  those  mutual  recriminations  and  altercations  and 
disrespectful  remarks  about  one  another,  which  are  so  incon* 
flistent  with  brotherly  love,  and  such  a  stumbhng  block  in 
the  way  of  sinners. 

9.  They  must  be  agreed  in  doing  heartily  whatever  is  neces- 
sary to  be  done  for  the  promotion  of  the  revival.  Sometimes  a 
slight  disagi'eement  about  a  very  Uttle  thing  will  be  allowed 
to  break  in  and  desti'oy  a  revival.  A  minister  told  me  that 
he  once  went  to  labor  in  a  place  as  an  evangelist,  and  the 
Spirit  of  God  was  ev-idently  present,  and  sinners  began  to 
inquire,  and  things  looked  quite  fevorable,  until  some  of  the 


806  THE    NECESSITY   AND    BYFWH!    OF    UNION. 

members  in  the  chnrch  began  to  agitate  the  inquiry  how  they 
should  pay  him  for  his  services.  They  said,  "If  he  stays  among 
as  any  longer,  he  will  expect  we  should  give  him  something," 
and  they  did  not  see  how  they  could  afford  to  do  it  Ajad 
they  talked  about  it  until  the  minds  of  the  brethren  got  dis- 
tracted and  divided,  and  the  minister  went  away.  Look  tA 
ii  There  God  stood  in  the  door  of  that  church,  with  his 
hands  fuU  of  mercies  but  these  parsimonious  and  wicked  pro- 
fessors thought  it  would  cost  something  to  have  a  revival, 
and  their  expenses  were  about  as  much  as  they  felt  willing 
or  able  t-o  bear.  And  so  they  let  him  depart  and  the  work 
ceased.  The  minister  would  not  have  left  at  the  time,  wheth- 
er they  gave  him  anything  or  not,  for  what  he  should  re- 
ceive, or  whether  he  should  receive  anything  from  them,  was 
a  question  about  which  he  felt  no  concern.  But  the  church 
by  their  parsimonious  spirit  got  into  such  a  state  as  to  grieve 
the  Spirit,  and  he  saw  that  to  stay  longer  with  them  would 
do  no  good-  Oh,  how  wiU  those  professors  feel  when  they 
meet  sinners  from  that  town  in  judgment,  when  it  wiU  all 
come  out,  that  God  was  ready  and  waiting  to  grant  them 
a  blessing,  but  they  allowed  themselves  to  get  agitated  and 
divided  by  inquiring  how  much  they  should  have  to  pay ! 

10.  They  must  be  agreed  in  laboring  to  carry  on  the  work. 
It  is  not  enough  that  they  should  agree  to  pray  for  a  revival, 
but  they  should  agree  also  in  laboring  to  promote  it.  They 
should  set  themselves  to  it  systematically,  and  as  a  matter 
of  business,  to  visit  and  converse  and  pray  with  their  neigh- 
bors ;  to  look  out  for  opportunities  of  doing  good  ;  to  watch 
the  effect  of  the  word,  and  watch  the  signs  of  the  times,  thai 
they  may  know  when  anything  needs  to  be  done,  and  do  it 

(1.)  They  should  be  agreed  to  labor, 

(2. )  They  should  be  agreed  how  to  labor. 

(3.)  They  should  be  agreed  to  Hve  accordingly. 

11.  They  must  agree  in  a  determination  to  persevere.  It 
will  not  answer  for  some  members  of  the  chui'ch  to-day  to  b^ 
gin  to  move  and  bluster  about,  and  then,  as  soon  as  the  least 
thing  turns  up  unfavorable,  to  get  discouraged,  and  faint,  and 
one^half  of  them  give  over.  They  should  be  all  united  and 
agree  to  persevere,  and  labor,  and  pray,  and  hold  on,  untO 
the  blessing  comes. 

In  a  word,  if  Christians  expect  to  unite  in  prayer  and 
effort,  so  as  to  prevail  with  God,  they  must  be  agreed  in 
speaking  and  doing  the  same  things,  in  walking  by  the  same 
rule,  and  maintaining  the  same  principles,  and  in  persevering 
till  they  obtain  the  blessing,  so  as  not  to  hinder  or  thwad 


THE   NECESSITY    AJfTD    EFFECT   OF    XTSaOlS.  807 

each  other's  efforts.     All  this  is  evidently  implied  in  bein^ 
agreed  as  touching  the  things  for  which  they  are  praying. 

RKMARKH. 

1.  We  see  why  it  is  that  so  many  of  the  children  of  profesa- 
ing  parents  are  not  converted. 

It  is  because  the  parents  have  not  been  agreed  as  touching 
the  things  they  should  pray  for  in  behalf  cf  their  children. 
Perhaps  they  never  had  any  kind  of  agreement  respecting 
them.  Perhaps  they  were  never  agreed  even  as  to  what  was 
the  very  best  thing  they  could  ask  for  them.  Sometimea 
parents  ai-e  not  agreed  in  anything,  but  their  opinions  clash, 
and  they  are  perpetually  disagreeing,  and  their  children  see 
it,  and  then  no  wonder  they  are  not  converted- 

Or  perhaps  they  may  not  be  agreed  as  touching  the  salva- 
tion of  theii'  children.  Are  they  sincere  in  desiiing  it  ?  Do 
they  agree  to  desire,  and  agree  from  right  motives  ?  Do 
they  agree  in  regard  to  the  importance  of  it?  Are  they 
agreed  how  their  children  ought  to  be  dealt  with,  to  effect 
their  conversion— what  shall  be  said  to  them — how  it  shall 
be  said — when — ^by  whom.  Alas !  in  how  many  cases  is  it 
evident  they  are  not  agreed-  Probably  few  cases  will  be 
found,  where  children  remain  unconverted,  but  what  it  will 
prove  that  the  parents  were  never  truly  agreed  as  touching 
the  things  they  should  ask  for  the  salvation  of  their  children. 

Often  there  is  such  disagreement  that  we  could  not  expect 
any  good  to  result,  or  anything  but  ruin  to  the  children. 
The  husband  aaid  wife  often  disagree  entirely  and  funda- 
mentally in  regard  to  the  manner  of  bringing  up  their  chil- 
dren. Perhaps  the  wife  is  fond  of  dress,  and  display,  and 
visiting,  while  the  husband  is  plain  and  humble,  and  is 
grieved  and  distressed,  and  mourns  and  prays  to  see  how  hia 
children  are  puffed  up  with  vanity.  Or  it  may  be  that  the 
father  is  ambitious,  and  wants  to  have  his  daughters  fashion- 
ably educated  and  make  a  display,  and  his  sons  become  great 
men,  and  so  he  will  send  his  daughters  to  a  pohte  boarding- 
school,  where  they  may  learn  anything  but  their  duty  to 
God,  and  will  be  all  the  time  pushing  his  sons  foi-ward,  and 
goading  their  ambition,  while  the  mother  grieves  and  weeps 
in  secret  to  see  her  dear  childi'en  hurried  on  to  destruction, 
and  all  her  own  influence  counteracted,  and  her  sons  and 
daughters  trained  up  to  serve  the  god  of  this  world,  and  go 
iohelL 

2.  We  see  the  hypocrisy  of  those  whD  profess  to  be  pray 


S08  rBLE    NECESSITY    AND    EFFECT   OF    CTNIOH. 

ing  for  a  revival  while  they  are  doing  nothing  to  promote  ft, 
There  are  many  who  appear  to  be  very  zealous  in  praying 
for  a  revival,  while  they  are  not  doing  anj^hing  at  all  for  ona 
What  do  they  mean  ?  Are  they  agreed  as  touching  the  things 
they  ask  for  ?  Certainly  not.  They  cannot  be  agreed  in  of- 
fering acceptable  prayer  for  a  revival  until  they  are  prepared 
TO  DO  what  God  requires  them  to  do  to  promote  it.  What 
would  you  think  of  the  farmer  who  shoiild  pray  for  a  crop, 
and  not  plough  nor  sow  ?  Would  you  think  such  prayers 
pious,  or  an  insult  to  God  ? 

3.  We  see  why  so  many  prayers  offered  in  the  church  are 
never  answered  It  is  because  those  who  offered  them  never 
were  agreed  as  touching  the  things  they  asked  for.  Perhaps 
the  minister  never  laid  the  subject  before  them,  never  ex- 
plained what  it  is  to  be  agreed,  nor  showed  them  its  impor- 
tance, nor  set  before  them  the  great  encouragement  which 
the  promise  before  us  affords  to  churches  that  will  agree. 
Perhaps  the  members  of  the  church  have  never  conferred  to- 
gether, and  compared  their  views,  to  see  whether  they  under- 
stood the  subject  alike,  whether  they  were  agreed  in  regard  to 
the  motives,  gromids,  and  importance  of  being  united  in 
prayer  and  labor  for  a  revival  Suppose  you  were  to  go 
through  the  churches  in  this  city,  and  learn  the  precise  views 
and  feelings  of  the  members  on  this  subject.  How  many 
would  you  find  who  were  agreed  even  in  regard  to  the  essen- 
tial and  indispensable  things,  concerning  which  it  is  neces- 
sary Christians  should  be  agreed  in  order  to  miite  in  prevail- 
ing prayer  ?  Perhaps  no  two  could  be  found  who  are  agreed 
and  if  two  were  found  whose  views  and  desires  were  ahke, 
it  would  probably  be  ascertained  that  they  are  unacquainted 
with  each  other,  and  of  course  neither  act  nor  pray  together. 

4.  We  see  why  it  is  that  this  text  has  been  generally  un- 
derstood to  mean  something  different  from  what  it  saya 
People  have  first  read  it  wrong.  They  have  read  it  as  if  it 
was,  "  If  any  two  of  you  shall  agree  to  ask  anything,  it  shall 
be  done."  And  as  they  have  often  agreed  to  ask  for  tilings, 
and  the  things  were  not  done,  they  have  said,  "  The  literal 
meanmg  of  the  text  cannot  be  true,  for  we  have  tried  it  and 
know  it  is  not  time.  How  many  prayer  meetings  have  we 
held,  and  how  many  petitions  have  we  put  up,  in  which  we 
have  perfectly  agreed  in  asking  for  blessings,  and  yec  they 
have  not  been  gi^anted  ?"  Now  the  fact  is,  that  they  have 
never  yet  understood  what  it  is  to  be  agreed  as  touc/iing  the 
things  they  are  to  ask  for.  I  am  sui'e  this  is  no  strained 
sonstruction  of  the  text^  but  is  its  true   ind  obvious  meanings 


THE   NECESSITY    AND    EFFECT    OF    UNIOW.  SO* 

A8  a  plain,  pious  reader  would  understand  it,  if  he  inquired 
seriously  and  earnestly  the  true  import  They  must  be 
agreed  not  only  in  askinr/,  but  in  everything  else  that  is  in- 
dispensable to  the  existence  of  the  tiling  prayed  for.  Sup- 
pose two  of  you  were  agi-eed  in  desuing  to  go  to  Loudon  to- 
gether. If  you  are  not  agreed  in  regard  to  the  means,  what 
route  you  shall  take,  and  what  ship  you  will  go  in,  you  will 
never  get  there  together.  Just  so  in  praying  for  a  revival, 
you  must  be  agreed  in  regard  to  the  means  and  circum- 
stances, and  everythiug  essential  to  the  existence  and  progress 
of  a  revival. 

5.  We  may  ordinarily  expect  a  revival  of  rehgion  to  pre- 
vail and  extend  among  those  without  the  church,  just  in 
proportion  to  the  union  of  prayer  and  effort  within.  If 
there  is  a  general  union  within  the  church,  the  revival  will 
be  general.  If  the  imion  continues,  the  reyival  will  con- 
tinue. If  anything  begins  to  break  in  upon  this  perfect 
union  in  prayer  and  effort,  it  will  begin  to  limit  the  revival. 
How  great  and  powerful  would  be  the  revival  in  this  city, 
if  aU  the  churches  m  the  city  were  thus  united  in  pro- 
moting it  I 

There  is  another  fact  which  I  have  witnessed,  worthy  of 
notice.  I  have  observed,  that  a  revival  will  prevail  out  of 
the  church,  among  persons  in  that  class  of  society,  amongst 
whom  it  prevails  in  fiie  church.  If  the  females  iu  the  church 
are  most  awake  and  prayerful,  the  work  may  ordinarily  be 
expected  to  prevail  mostly  among  females  out  of  the  church, 
and  more  women  will  be  converted  than  men.  If  the  youth 
of  either,  or  of  both  sexes,  in  the  church  are  most  awake,  the 
work  is  most  likely  to  prevail  among  youth,  male  or  female, 
or  both,  as  the  work  may  be  lq  the  church,  in  this  respect 
If  the  heads  of  families  and  the  principal  men  in  the  church 
are  awake,  the  revival  is,  I  have  observed,  more  likely  to  pre- 
vail among  that  class  out  of  the  church.  I  have  known  a  r^ 
vival  mostly  confined  to  females,  and  few  males  converted, 
apparently  because  the  male  part  of  the  church  did  not  take 
hold  and  work.  Again  I  have  repeatedly  known  the  greatest 
number  of  converts  among  men,  owing  apparently  to  the  fact 
that  the  male  part  of  the  church  were  most  engaged-  When 
the  revival  does  not  reach  a  particular  class  of  the  impeni- 
tent, pains  should  be  taken  to  arouse  that  portion  of  the 
church  who  are  of  their  own  age  and  standing,  to  make 
more  dii-ect  efforts  for  their  conversion.  There  seems  to  be 
a  philosophy  in  this  fact,  which  has  often  been  witnessed. 
DifEersnt  classes  of  professors  naturally  feel  a  sympathy  fot 


SIO  THE   N^SCESSITY   AlfTD   EFFECT   OF   UXIOS. 

the  impenitent  of  their  own  sex  and  age  and  rofnk,  and  mor« 
natiiraUy  pray  for  them,  and  have  more  intercourse  with 
them,  and  more  influence  over  them,  and  this  seems  to  be  at 
least  one  of  the  reasons  why  revivals  are  apt  to  be  the  most 
powerful  and  genertil  in  that  class  without  the  church,  who 
are  the  most  awake  in  the  church.  Christians  should  under- 
stand this,  and  feel  their  responsibihty.  One  great  reason 
why  so  few  of  the  principal  men  are  sometimes  converted  in 
revivals,  doubtless  is,  that  that  class  in  the  church  are  often 
BO  worldly,  they  cannot  be  aroused.  The  revival  wiU  gen- 
erally prevail  mostly  in  those  famihes  where  the  professors 
belonging  to  them  are  awake,  and  the  impenitent  belonging 
tc  those  families  where  the  professors  "are  not  awake,  are  apt 
to  be  left  unconverted.  One  principal  reason,  obviously  is, 
that  when  the  professors  in  a  family  or  neighborhood  are 
awake,  there  is  not  only  prayer  offered  for  sinners  in  the 
midst  of  them,  but  there  are  con-esponding  influences  acting 
upon  the  impenitent  among  them.  If  they  are  awake,  their 
looks  and  hves  and  warnings,  all  tend  to  promote  the  con- 
version of  then*  impenitent  friends.  But  if  they  are  asleep, 
all  their  influences  tend  to  prevent  their  conversion.  Thei^ 
coldness  grieves  the  Spirit,  their  worldliness  contradicts 
the  Gospel,  and  all  their  intercourse  with  their  impenitent 
friends  is  in  favor  of  impenitence,  and  calculated  to  perpetu- 
ate it 

6.  We  see  why  different  denominations  have  been  suffered 
to  spring  up  in  the  church,  and  under  the  government  of 
God. 

Christians  often  see  and  deplore  the  evils  that  have  arisen 
to  the  church  of  God,  from  the  division  of  his  people  into 
jarring  sects.  And  they  have  wondered  and  been  perplex- 
ed, to  think  that  God  should  suffer  it  to  be  so.  But  in  the 
light  of  this  subject  we  can  see,  that  considering  what  diver- 
sities of  ophdons  and  feelings  and  views  actually  exist  in  the 
church,  mu^Lgood  results_&om  this  division  of  sects.  Con- 
sidering tills  diversity  of  opimon^lSany  would  never  agree  to 
pray  and  labor  together,  so  as  to  do  it  with  success,  and  so  it 
IS  better  they  should  separate,  and  let  those  imite  who  are 
agreed.  In  all  cases  where  there  cannot  be  a  cordial  agree- 
ment ui  labor,  it  is  better  that  each  denomination  should  Labor 
by  themselves,  so  long  as  this  difference  exists.  I  have  some- 
tiines  seen  revivals  broken  up  by  attempting  to  unite  Chris- 
tians of  different  denominations  in  prayer  and  labor  together, 
while  they  were  not  agreed  as  to  flie  principles  or  measures 
hy  which  tJhe  work  was  to  be  promoted.     They  would  then 


THE   NECESSITY    ANT)   ETFECrT   OP   UlflOW.  811 

aado  each  other's  work,  and  destroy  each  other's  influence, 
perplex  the  anxious,  and  give  occasion  to  enemies  to  blas- 
pheme, and  soon  their  feelings  would  get  soured,  and  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  grieved  away,  and  the  work  stops,  and  per- 
haps painful  confusion  and  controversy  follow. 

7.  We  see  why  God  sometimes  suffers  churches  to  be  di- 
vided- It  is  because  he  finds  that  the  members  are  so  much 
ftt  variance  that  they  wiU  not  pray  and  labor  together  with 
effect  Sometimes  churches  that  are  in  such  a  state,  will  still 
keep  together  from  worldly  considerations  and  worldly  policy, 
because  it  is  so  much  easier  for  the  whole  to  support  publio 
worship.  Perhaps  both  parties  want  to  keep  the  meeting- 
house, or  both  want  to  retain  the  minister,  and  they  cannot 
agree  which  shall  go  off,  and  so  they  continue  along,  jealous 
and  jangling  for  years,  accomplishing  Httle  or  nothing  for  the 
salvation  of  sinners.  In  such  cases,  God  has  often  let  some- 
thing turn  up  among  them,  that  would  tear  tJiem  asunder, 
and  then  each  party  would  go  to  work  in  their  own  way,  and 
perhaps  both  would  prosper.  While  they  were  in  the  same 
church,  they  were  always  making  each  other  trouble,  as  they 
did  not  think  nor  feel  ahke,  but  as  soon  as  they  were  sepa- 
rated, every  thing  settled  down  in  peace,  and  made  it  evident 
that  it  was  better  they  should  divi'  le.  I  have  known  some 
cases  in  this  State,  where  this  has  been  done  vnth  the  happi- 
est results,  and  both  churches  have  been  speedily  blessed  with 
revivals. 

8.  It  is  evident  that  many  more  churches  need  to  be  divided- 
How  many  churches  there  are,  that  are  holding  together,  and 
yet  are  doiug  no  good,  for  the  simple  reason  that  they  are 
not  sufficiently  agreed.  They  do  not  think  ahke  nor  feel 
alike  on  the  subjects  connected  with  revivals,  and  while  this  is 
BO,  they  never  can  work  together.  Unless  they  can  be 
brought  to  such  a  change  of  views  and  feelings  on  the  sub- 
ject as  will  unite  them,  they  are  only  a  hindrance  to  each 
other  and  to  the  work  of  God.  In  many  cases  they  see  and 
feel  that  it  is  so,  and  yet  they  keep  together,  conscientiously, 
for  fear  a  division  should  dishonor  religion,  when  in  fact  the 
division  that  now  exists  may  be  making  religion  a  by-word 
and  a  reproach.  Far  better  would  it  be  if  they  would  just 
agree  to  divide  amicably,  like  Abraham  and  Lot  "  If  thou 
wilt  take  the  left  h:md,  I  will  go  to  the  right ;  or  if  thou  de- 
part to  the  right  hand,  then  I  will  go  to  the  left."  Let  thenj 
separate,  and  each  work  in  his  own  way,  and  they  may  both 
iinjoy  the  blessing. 

9.  We  see  why  a  few  individuals,  who  are  perfectly  rmi*^ 


812  THE    NECESSITY   AlTD    EFFECT    OF    UXI«f7. 

may  be  successful  in  gathering  and  building  up  a  new  church, 
and  may  do  so  much  better  than  a  much  larger  number  who 
are  nol  agi-eed  among  themselves.  If  I  were  going  to  gather 
a  new  church  in  this  city,  I  should  rather  have  five  persons, 
or  three,  or  even  two  that  were  perfectly  agreed  as  touching 
the  things  they  were  to  pray  for,  and  the  manner  in  which 
they  should  labor  for  them,  and  in  all  that  is  essential  to  the 
prosperity  of  a  church,  and  who  would  stand  by  me,  and 
stand  by  each  other,  than  to  have  a  church  to  begin  with,  of 
five  himdred  members  who  were  not  agreed 

10.  We  see  what  glorious  things  may  be  expected  for  2iion, 
whenever  the  churches  generally  shall  be  agreed  on  these  sub- 
jects. When  ministers  shall  lay  aside  their  prejudices,  and 
their  misconstructions,  and  their  jealousies,  and  shall  see  eye 
to  eye,  and  when  the  churches  shall  understand  the  Bible 
alike,  and  see  their  duty  alike,  and  pray  alike,  and  shall  be 
*  agreed  as  touching  the  things  they  shall  ask  for,"  a  nation 
flhaJl  be  born  in  a  day.  Only  let  them  feel  as  the  heart  of  one 
man,  and  be  agreed  as  to  what  ought  to  be  done  for  the  sal- 
?ation  of  the  world,  and  the  millennium  will  come  at  once. 

11.  There  is  vast  ignorance  in  the  churches  on  the  subject 
of  revivals.  After  all  the  revivals  that  have  been  enjoyed, 
and  all  that  has  been  sai  I  and  written  and  printed  concern- 
ing revivals,  there  are  veiy  few  who  have  any  real,  consistent 
bmidedge  on  the  subject.  And  when  there  is  a  revival,  how 
few  are  there  who  can  take  hold  to  labor  and  promote  it  as  if 
they  rmderstood  what  they  were  about  How  few  persons 
are  to  be  found,  who  have  ever  taken  up  revivals  of  rehgion 
as  a  subject  to  be  studied  and  understood.  Every  body 
knows,  that  in  a  revival  Christians  must  pray,  and  must  do 
some  things  which  they  have  not  been  in  the  habit  of  doing. 
But  multitudes  know  nothing  of  the  REASON  WHY  they 
should  do  this,  or  why  one  thing  is  bettor  than  another,  and 
of  course  they  have  no  principles  to  guide  them,  and  when 
anything  occurs  which  tiiey  did  not  expect,  they  are  all  at 
feiult  and  know  nothing  what  to  da  K  men  should  go  to 
work  to  build  a  house  of  worship,  and  know  as  little  how  to 
proceed  as  many  ministers  and  professors  know  how  to  build 
the  spiritual  temple  of  God,  they  never  would  get  up  a  hoase 
in  the  world.  And  yet  people  make  themselves  believe  they 
are  building  the  church  of  God,  when  they  know  nothing  at 
all  what  they  are  about,  and  are  utterly  unable  to  give  a  rea- 
son why  they  are  doing  as  they  do,  or  why  one  thing  should 
be  done  rather  than  another.  There  are  multitudee  in  the 
ehurch  who  never  seem  to  suppose  that  the  work  of  prosxi^ 


THE  KliCESSlTY   AND   EFFECT   OF   UNION.  31  »| 

ting  reYivals  of  reli^aon  is  one  that  reqtiirea  study,*  and 
thought,  and  knowledge  of  principles,  and  skill  in  applyinpj 
the  wcrd  of  God,  so  as  to  give  every  one  his  portion  in  sear 
so)i.  And  so  they  go  on,  generally  doing  httle  or  nothing  be- 
£ausG  they  are  attemptuig  nothing,  and  if  they  ever  do 
awake,  go  headlong  to  work,  A\ithout  any  system  or  plan,  as* 
if  God  had  left  this  part  of  our  duty  out  of  the  I'each  of 
sound  judgment  and  good  sense. 

12.  Tliere  is  vast. ignorance  among  ministers  upon  this  sub- 
ject, and  one  gieat  reason  of  this  ignorance  is,  that  many  get 
the  idea  tliat  they  alrea  Jy  understand  aU  about  revivals,  when 
in  reahty  they  know  next  to  nothing  about  them.  T,  once 
knew  a  minister  come  in  whore  there,  was  a  powerful  revival, 
and  bluster  about  and  find  fault  with  many  things,  speaking 
of  his  knowledge  of  revivals,  that  he  had  been  in  seventeen 
of  them  and  so  on,  when  it  was  evident  that  he  knew  nothing 
as  he  ought  to  know  of  revivals, 

'  13.  How  important  it  is  that  the  church  should  be  trained, 
and  insti-ucted,  so  as  to  know  what  to  do  in  a  revival  They 
should  be  trained  and  disciplined  hke  an  army  ;  each  one 
haviiig  a  place  to  fiU,  and  something  to  do,  and  knowhig 
where  he  belongs,  and  what  he  has  to  do,  and  how  to  do  it. 
Instead  of  this,  how  often  do  you  see  a  church  in  a  time  of 
revival  take  hold  of  the  work  to  promote  it,  just  like  a  parcel 
of  childicn  taking -hold  to  build  a  house.  How  few  are  there 
that  really  know  how  to  do — what? — Why,  the  very  thing  for 
which  God  sulibrs  Christians  to  hve  in  this  world,  the  very 
tiling  for  which  ALONE  he  would  ever  let  them  remain  away 
from  heaven  a  day,  is  the  very  thing  of  aU  others  that  they 
do  not  study  and  do  not  try  to  understand. 
-  14.  Wo  see  why  revivals  are  often  so  short,  and  why  they 
so  often  produce  a  reaction.  It  is  because  the  church  do  nob 
inidcrstand  the  -subject.  Revivals  are  short,  because  pro- 
fessors have  been  stiiTcd  up  to  a  spasmodical  kind  of  action. 
They  have  gone  to  work  by  impulse  rather  than  fi'om  dehber- 
ato  conviction  of  duty,  and  have  been  guided  by  their  feel- 
ings rather  than  by  a  sound  understanding  of  what  they 
ought  to  do.  The  church  did  not  know  what  to  do,  what 
they  could  do,  and  what  they  could  not,  nor  how  to  husband 
their  sti'cngth,  nor  what  the  state  of  things  would  bear,  and 
perhaps  their  zeal  led  them  into  some  indiscretions,  and  they 
lost  tlieix  hold  on  God,  and  so  the  enemy  prevailed.  The 
church  ought  to  bo  so  trained  as  to  know  what  to  do,  so  aa 
n(3ver  to  fail,  and  never  to  suffer  defeat  or  reaction,  when 
they  attempt  to  procnj^e  a  rovivaL_  They -should  understand 


314.  THE   NECESSITY   AND    EFFECT  OF   UNION." 

all  the  tactits  of  the  devil,  and  knov^  where  to  guard  against 
his  devices,  so  tjiat  they  may  know  him  when  they  see  him, 
and  not  mistake  him  for  an  angel  of  Hght  come  to  give  them 
lessons  of  wisdom  in  promotiQg  the  revival,  and  so  they  can 
co-operate  wisely  with  the  minister,  a  ad  with  one  another,  and 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  carrying  on  the  work.  No  person 
who  has  been  conversant  in  revivals  can  overlook  ihe  fafct, 
that  the  ignorance  of  professors  of  religion  concerning  revi- 
vals, and  their  stupid  blunders  are  among  the  most  common 
things  that  put  revivals  down,  and  bring  back  a  fearful  re- 
action upon  the  church.  Brethren,  How  long  shall  this  be 
80  ?  It  ought  not  to  be  so,  it  need  not  be  so,  shall  it  always 
be  so? 

15.  We  see  that  every  cburch  is  justly  responsible  for  the 
80uls  that  are  among  them.  If  God  has  given  such  a  promise, 
and  if  it  is  true  that  where  so  many  as  two  are  agreed,  as 
touching  the  things  they  ask  for,  it  shall  be  done,  then  cer- 
tainly Christians  are  responsible,  and  if  sinners  are  lost,  their 
blood  will  be  found  upon  the  church.  If  the  churches  can 
have  what  they  ask,  as  soon  as  they  are  agreed  as  touching  it, 
then  certainly  the  damnation  of  the  world  will  be  required 
at  the  hands  of  the  church. 

16.  We  see  the  guUt  of  ministers,  in  not  informing  them- 
selves, and  rightly  and  speedily  instructing  the  churches  upon 
this  momentous  subject  Why^  what  is  the  end  of  the  Chris- 
tian ministry?  What  have  they  to  do,  but  to  instruct  and 
marshal  the  sacramental  host,  and  lead  them  on  to  conquest. 
What!  let  the  church  remain  in  ignorance  upon  the  very 
subject,  and  the  only  point  of  duty,  for  the  performance  of 
which  they  are  in  the  world,  the  salvation  of  sinners.  Some 
ministers  have  acted  as  mysteriously  about  revivals,  as  if  they 
thought  Christians  were  either  incapable  of  understanding 
bow  to  promote  them,  or  that  it  was  of  no  importance  that 
they  should  know.  But  this  is  all  wrong.  No  minister  has 
yet  begun  to  understand,  or  do  his  duty,  if  he  has  neglected 
to  teach  his  church  to  work  for  God  in  the  promotion  of  re- 
Tivals.  What  is  he  about  ?  What  does  he  mean  ?  Why  is 
he  a  minister  ?  To  what  end  has  he  taken  the  sacred  office  ? 
Is  it  that  he  "  may  eat  a  piece  of  bread  ?  '* 

17.  We  see  that  pious  parents  can  render  the  salvation  of 
their  children  certain.  Only  let  them  j)ray  in  faith,  and  be 
agreed  as  touching  the  things  they  shaU  ask  for,  and  God 
has  promised  them  the  desire  of  their  hearts.  W1k>  can  be 
agreed  so  well  as  parents  ?  Le't  them  be  agreed  in  prayer, 
and  agreed  wbat  to  do,  and  agreed  in  .doing  all  their  duty ; 


THE    NECESSITY    Al«>   EFFECT  OF    UNION.  Sl§. 

let  them  thus  train  up  their  children  in  tlie  way  they  should 
go,  and  when  they  are  old,  they  will  not  depart  from  it 

Ajid  now,  brethren,  do  you  behcve  you  are  agreed,  accord- 
ing to  the  meaning  of  this  promise  ?  I  know  that  where  a 
few  mdivrduals  may  be  agi-eed  in  some  things,  they  may  pro- 
duce some  effect.  But  while  the  body  of  the  church  are  not 
agreed,  there  will  always  be  so  many  things  to  counteract, 
that  they  wiU  accoraphsh  but  httle.  THE  CHURCH  MUST 
BE  AGREED.  Oh,  if  we  could  find  one  church  that  were 
perfectly  and  heartily  agreed  in  all  these  points,  so  that  they 
could  pray  and  labor  together,  all  as  one,  what  good  would 
be  done  I  But  now,  while  things  are  as  they  are,  we  see 
colony  after  colony  peoplmg  hell,  because  the  church  are 
not  agreed.  Oh,  what  do  Christians  think,  how  can  they 
keep  stiD,  when  God  has  brought  down  his  blessings  so  that 
if  any  two  were  agreed,  as  touching  the  things  they  ask  for, 
it  would  be  done.  Alas !  alas !  how  bitter  will  be  the  re* 
membrance  of  these  janghngs  in  the  church,  when  Chris- 
tiana come  to  see  the  crowds  of  lost  souls  that  have  gone 
down  to-hell,  because  we  were  not  agreed  to  labor  and  pray 
for  their  salvation. 

I  FiNAiLY. — In  the  hght  cf  this  promise  we  see  the  awful 
guilt  of  the  church.  God  has  given  it  to  be  the  precious  in 
hentauce  of  his  people  at  all  times,  and  m  all  places.  If  his 
people  agree,  their  prayers  will  be  answered.  We  see  the 
awfvl  gudl  of  (his  church,  who  como  here  and  listen  to  lectures 
about  revivals  and  then  go  away  and  have  no  revival,  and 
also  the  gudt  of  members  of  other  churcnes  who  hear  these 
lectures  and  go  home  and  re/use  to  do  tlieir  duty.  How  can 
you  meet  the  thousands  of  impenitent  sinners  around  you, 
at  the  bar  of  God,  and  see  them  sink  away  into  everlast- 
ing burnings?  Have  you  been  imited  in  heart  to  pray  for 
them  ?  If  you  have  not,  why  have  you  disagreed  ?  Why 
have  you  not  prayed  with  this  promise  untU  you  have  pre- 
vailed ? 

You  will  now  either  be  agreed,  and  pray  for  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  receive  him  before  you  leave  the  house,  or  the 
anger  of  the  Lord  will  be  upon  you.  Should  you  now  agree 
to  pray  in  the  sense  of  this  promise,  for  the  Spirit  of  God'  to 
come  down  on  this  city,  the  heavenly  dove  would  fly  through 
the  city  in  the  midst  of  the  night  and  would  rouse  the  con- 
sciences and  break  up  the  guilty  slumbers  of  the  wicked. 
What  then  is  the  crimson  guilt  of  those  professors  of  religion 
who  ore  sleeping  in  sight  of  such  a  promise  ?  They  seem  to 
have  skipped  over,  pr  to  have  entirely  forgotten  it.  c  Multi* 


316  TUB   NECESSITY   AliD   EFFECT  OF   UNIOIT. 

tildes  of  sinners  going  to  hell  in  all  directions,  and  yel  Ihid 
blessed  promise  is  neglected  ;  yea,  more,  is  practicoUy  despised 
by  the  church.  There  it  stands  in  the  .solemn  recor(i  and  the 
church  might  take  hold  of  it  in  such  a  manner  that  vast  num* 
bers  might  be  saved,  but  they  are  not  agreed.  Therefore 
souls  will  pensh.  And  where  is  the  responsibility?  "Who 
can  take  this  promise  and  look  the  perishing  in  the  mce  at  the 
day  of  judgment? 

These  lectures  were  greatly  instrumental  in  reviving  r^ 
ligioif 'in  the  church  to  which  they  Were  preached,  and  their 
pubhcation  m  this  country  and  in  Europe  has  been  the  meana 
of  proinoting  revivals  in  veiy  many  placea  To  God  belong 
all  the  glory. 


tiECTUBE  XVIt 


VlLSB   OOMPOBTS  FOB  SINKEBS. 


TszT.— How  then  comfort  je  me  In  Tain,  seeing  in  yonr  answers  tbero  reoialneth 
ftilBehood.— Job  zxi.  34. 

Job's  three  friends  insisted  on  it  that  the  afflictions  which 
he  suffered  were  sent  as  a  punishment  for  his  sins,  and  were 
evidence  conclusive  that  he  was  a  hypocrite,  and  not  a  good 
man  as  he  professed  to  be.  A  lengthy  argument  ensued;  in 
which  Job  referred  to  all  past  experience,  to  prove  that  men 
are  not  dealt  with  in  this  world  according  to  their  character ; 
that  the  distinction  is  not  observed  in  the  allotments  of 
Providence.  His  friends  maintained  the  opposite,  and  inti- 
mated that  this  vi^orld  is  also  a  place  of  rewards  and  punish- 
ments, in  which  men  receive  good  or  evil,  accc^-ding  to  their 
deeds.  In  this  chapter,  Job  ^ows  by  appeah'ng  to  common 
eense  and  common  observation,  an  (^experience,  that  this  can- 
not be  true,  because  it  is  a  matter  of  fact  that  the  wicked  are 
often  prosperous  in  the  world  and  thi'ough  life,  and  hence 
infers  that  their  judgment  and  punishment  must  be  reserved 
for  a  future  state.  "  The  wicked  is  reserved  to  the  day  of  de- 
stniction,"  and  "  they  shall  bo  brought  forth  to  the  day  of 
his  wrath.**  And  inasmuch  as  his  fiiends  came  to  conifort 
liim,  but  being  in  the  dark  on  this  fiindimiental  point,  had 
not  been  able  to  imderstand  his  case,  and  so  could  not  afford 
bim  any  comfort,  H)iit  rather  aggravated  his  grief,  Job  in- 
sisted upon  it  that  he  would  still  look  to  a  futui-e  fetate  for 
consolation,  and  rebukes  them  by  exclaiming,  in  the  bitter- 
ness of  his  soul,  "How  then  comfort  ye  me  ia  vain,  seemg  in 
yo\ii  answers  there  remaineth  falsehood  ?" 

My  present  purpose  is,  to  make  some  remarks  upon  the 
Various  methods  employed  in  comforting  anxious  sinners,  and 
I  design : 

L  To  notice  briefly  the  necessity  and  design  of  instructmg 
anxious  simiers. 

n.  To  show  that  anxious  sinners  are  always  seeking 
xsomfort.  Their  supreme  object  is  to  get  comfort  in  their 
disti'esa 


3J8  PALSK  COMFORTS  FOR  SIKNERS, 

TTT-  To  notice  some  of  the  false  comforts  often  admim» 
tared.  —  — -  ^ 

L  The  necessity  and  design  of  instructing^  anxious  sinners. 

The  very  idea  of  anxiety  implies  some  insti-uction.  A  sin- 
ner would  not  be  anxious  at  all  about  his  future  state,  unless 
he  had  light  enough  to  know  that  he  is  a  sinner,  aod  that  he 
is  in  danger  of  punishment  and  lieeda  forgiveness.  But  men 
are  to  be  converted,  not  by  physical  force,  or  by  a  change 
wrought  in  their  nature  or  constitution  by  ci-eative  power, 
bat  by  the  truth  made  effectual  by  the  Holy  Spirit  Conver- 
sion is  yielding  to  the  ti'uth.  And  therefore,  the  more  to^h 
can  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  mind,  other  thinys  being 
equali  so  mudi  the  more  probable  is  it  that  the  individual 
will  be  converted.  Unless  the  truth  is  brought  to  beax*  upon 
him,  it  is  certain  he  will  not  be  converted-  If  it  is  brought  to 
bear,  it  is  not  absolutely  certain  that  it  will  be  effectual,  but 
the  probabihty  is  in  proportion  to  the  extent  to  which  the 
truth  is  brought  to  bear.  The  great  design  of  dealing  with 
an  anxious  sinner  is  to  clear  up  all  his  diMculties  and  dark- 
ness, and  to  do  away  aU  his  errors,  and  sap  the  foundation 
of  his  seK-righteous  hopes,  and  sweep  away  every  vestige  of 
comfort  that  he  could  find  in  himsell  There  is  often  much 
difficulty  in  this,  and  much  instruction  is  required.  Sinners 
often  ciing  with  a  death  grasp  to  their  false  dependencea 
The  last  place  to  which  a  smner  ever  betakes  himself  for  re- 
lief  is  to  Jesus  Christ  Siuners  haxi  rather  be  saved  in  any 
other  way  in  the  world-  They  had  rather  make  any  sacrifice, 
go  to  any  expense,  or  endure  any  Buffering,  than  just  to 
throw  themselves  as  guilty  and  lost  rebels  upon  Christ  alone 
for  salvation.  This  is  the  very  last  way  in  which  they  are 
ever  willmg  to  be  saved.  It  cuts  up  all  their  self-righteous- 
ness, aud  annihilates  their  pride  and  self-satisfaction  so  com- 
pletely, that  they  ai'e  exceedingly  unwilhug  to  adopt  it  But 
it  IS  as  true  m  philosophy  as  it  is  in  fact,  that  this  is,  after  all, 
the  only  way  m  which  a  smner  could  find  relief.  If  God 
should  attempt  to  rehevo  smners^  and  save  them  without- 
himibhng  theii*  pride  and  tmning  them  from  their  sins,  he 
could  not  do  it  Now  the  object  of  instructing  an  anxious 
sinner  should  be  to  lead  him  by  tJie  shortest  possible  way  to 
do  this.  It  IS  to  bring  his  mind,  by  the  shortest  route,  to  the 
practical  conclusion  that  there  is,  in  fact,  no  other  way  in 
which  he  can  be  reheved  and  saved,  but  to  renounce  himself 
and  rest  m  Christ  alone.  To  do  this  with  effect  requii-es 
great  akilL  It  reqmres  a  thorough  knowledge  of  Uie  human 
hearty  a  clear  understandiug  of  &b  plan  of  salvation,  and  a 


FALSE   COMFORTS   FOR   SINNERS.  3id 

precise  and  definite'  idea  of  the  very  thing  that  a  si  oner 
MUST  DO  in  order  to  be  saved.  To  know  how  to  do  this 
effectuaUy  is  one  of  the  rarest  qualifications  in  the  ministry 
at  the  present  day.  It  is  diiitressing  to  see  how  fevv  minis- 
ters, and  how  few  professors  of  reh^iion  there  are  .wlio  have 
in  their  own  minds  that  distinct  idea  of  the  thinj  to  be  done, 
that  they  can  go  to  an  anxjous  sumor  and  tell  liim  exactly 
what  he  has  to  do,  and  how  to  do  it,  and  can  show  him  clearly 
that  there  is  no  possible  way  for  him  to  be  saved  but  by  domg 
ifliat  very  thing  wliich  they  can  tell  him,  and  make  hmi  feel 
the  certainty  that  he  mu^  do  it,  and  that  unless  he  does  that 
very  thing-,  he  wdl  be  damned. 

U.  I  am  Jo  show  that  anxious  sinners  are  alwavs  seeking 
comfort. 

Sinners  often  imagine  they  are  seeking  Jesus  Christ,  ajid  seek-, 
ing  religion,  but  this  is  a  mistake.  No  person  ever  sought  re- 
ligion, and  yet  remamed  in-eligious.  What  is  religion  ?  It 
is  obeying  God.  Seeking  religion  is  seeking  to  obey  God. 
The  soul  that  hungers  and  thirsts  after  righteousness  is  the 
soul  of  a  Christian.  To  say  that  a  person  can  seek  to  obey 
God,  and  yet  not  obey  him,  is  absurd.  For  if  he  is  seeking 
religion  he  is  not  an  impenitent  sinner.  To  seek  religion,  im- 
phes  a  willingness  to  obey  God,  and  a  v\qllingness  to  obey 
God  is  religion.  It  is  a  contradiction  to  say  that  an  impeni- 
tent sinner  is  seeking  rehgion.  It  is  the  sam6  as  to  say,  that 
he  seeks  and  actually  longs  to  obey  God,  and  God  will  not  let 
him,  or  that  he  longs  to  embrace  Jesus  Christ,  and  Christ  will 
not  let  him  come.  The  fact  is,  the  anxious  siimcr  is  seeking 
a  hope,  he  is  seeking  pardon,  and  comfort,  and  deliverance 
from  helL  He  is  anxiously  looking  for  some  one  to  comfort 
him,  and  "make  him  feel  better,  without  being  obhged  to  con- 
form to  such  humiliating  conditions  as  those  of  the  Gospel 
And  his  anxiety  and  distress  continue,  only  because  he  will 
not  yield  to  the  terms.  Unfortunately,  anxious  sinners  find 
comforters  enough  to  their  liking.  ^Miserable  comforters  they 
aH  are,  too,  "  seeing  in  their  answers  there  remaineth  false- 
hood" No  doubt,  millions  and  millions  are  now  in  hell, 
because  there  were  those  around  them  who  gave  them  false 
comfort,  who  had  so  much  false  pity,  or  were  themselves  so 
much  in  the  dark,  that  they  would  not  let  them  remain  in 
anxiety  till  they  had  submitted  their  hearts  to  God,  but  ad- 
ministered falsehood,  and  relieved  their  distress  in  this  way, 
and  now  their  souls  are  lost. 

HL  I  am  to  notice  several  of  the  ways  in  which  f^lgA  com* 

ioit  is  giveQ  to  ftriTimi?^  RJnnprq.,  ^ 


320  PAL8B  COMFORTS  FOR  SINNERS, 

I  miglit  almost  say,  there  is  an  endless  variety,  of  ways  ii^ 
which  this  is  done.  The  mora  experience  -I  have,  and  thQ 
more  I  observe  the  ways  in  wliich  even  good  people  deal  with 
anxious  sinners,  the  more  I  feel  giieved  at  the  endless  fool- 
eries and  falsehoods  ^vith  which  they  attempt  to  comfort  their 
anxious  friends,  and  thus,  in  fact,  deceive  them  and  beguile 
tliem  out  of  their  salvation.  It  often  reminds  me  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  people  act  when  any  one  is-  sick.  •  Let  any  one 
of  you  be  sick,  with  ahnost  any  disease  in  the  world,  and 
you  will  find  that  eveiy  person  you  meet  with  has  a  remedy 
for  liiat  disorder,  a  certain  cure,  a  specific,  a  panacea ; 
and  you  will  find  such  a  world  of  quackery  all  around  you, 
that  if  you  do  not  take  care  and  SHUT  IT  ALI^  OUT, 
you  will  certainly  lose  your  life.  A  man  must  exercise  hia 
own  judgment,  for  he  will  find  as  m^ny  remedies  as  he 
has  fiiends,  and '  each  one  is  tenacious  of  his  own  medi- 
cine, and  perhaps  wiU  thmk  hard  if  it  is  not  taken.  And 
no  doubt  this  miserable  system  of  quackeiy  kills  a  great 
many  peopla 

This  is  true  to  no  gi'eater  extent  respecting  the  diseases  of 
the  body  than  respecting  the  diseases  of  the  mind.  ^  People 
have  their  specifics  and  their  cathol icons  and  their  panaceas 
to  comfort  distressed  souls,  and  whenever  they  begin  to  talk 
with  an  anxious  sinner,  they  will  bring  in  their  false  comforts, 
so  much  that  if  he  does  not  TAKE  CARE,  and  mind  the 
word  of  God,  he  wiU  infallibly  be  deceived  to  hi%  own  de- 
struction. I  propose  to  mention  a  few  of  the  falsehoods 
that  are  often  brought  forward  in  attempting  to  comfort  anx 
ions  sinners.     Time  would  fail  me,  ev^n  to  narm  them  pIL 

The  direct  object  of  many  persons  is  to  cpmjbrt  sinners,  and 
they  are  often  so^ intent  upon  this  that,  they  do  not  stick  at 
means  or  land  of  comfort, '  They  see  their  friends  distressed, 
and  they  pity  them,  they  feel  very  compassionate,  "  Oh,  oh,  I 
cannot  bear  to  see.  them  so  distressed,  I  must  comfort  them 
somehow,*'  and  so  they  try  one  way,  ancl  another,  and  all.  to 
comfort  them  1  Now,  God  desires  they  should  be  comforted. 
He  is  benevolent,  and  has  kind  feelings,  and  his  heart  yearns 
over  them,  when  he  «ees  them  so  distressed.  But  he  sees  that 
there  is  ordy  one  way  to  give  a  sinner  real  comfort  He  has 
more  benevolence  and  compas^on  than  all  men,  and  wishes 
to  comfort  them.  But  he  has  fixed  the  terms  as  unyielding 
as  Jhis  throne,  on  wliich  he  will  give  a  sinner  reUel  And  he 
will  not  alter.  He  knows  that  nothing  else  will  do  the  sinnef 
effectual  gpodj  for  nothing  can  make  liim  hajDpy,  until  he  r^ 
jpents  ^  his  sios  and  forsakes  them,  and  turns  to  God.    Aa^ 


FALSE  COMFORTS  FOR  SINNKRS.  321! 

IherGfore  God  will,  not  yield.  Our  objeot  should  be  the  same 
as  thafc  of  God.  We  should  feel  coinpaseion- aiid  benevolence, 
just  as  he  does,  and  be  as  rt^ady  to  give  comfort,  but  be  sure 
tliat  it  be  of  the  right  kind.  The  fact  is,  our  prime  object 
ehould  be  to  induce  the  sinner  to  obey  God.  His  comfort 
ought  to  be  with  us,  and  witli  him,  but  a  secondLiiy  object,  and 
^vbile  we  are  more  anxious  to  relieve  his  didress  than  to  ha-vo 
l\im  cease  to  abuse,  and  dishonor  God,  we  are  not  likely,  by 
our  instructions,  to  do  him  any  real  good.  This  is  a  f  dhda» 
mental  .distinction,  in  dealing  with  anxious  sinners,  but  it  is 
evidently  overlooked  by  many,  who  seem  to  have  no  higher 
motives,  than  sympathy  or  compassion,  for  the  sinner.*  If  in 
preaching  the  Gospel,  or  instructing  the  anxious,  we  are  not 
actuated  by  a  high  regard  to  the  honor  of  God^  and  rise  no 
higher,  than  to  desire  to  reheve  the  distressed  ;  this  is  going 
no  farther  than  a  constitutional  sympathy,  or  compassion, 
would  carry  us.  Overlooking  this  prmciple,  has  often  misled 
professors  of  religion,  and  when  they  have  heard  others  deal- 
ing faithfully  with  anxious  sinners,  they  have  accused  them  of ' 
cruelty,  1  have  often-  had  professors  bring  anxious  sinners  to 
me,  and  beg  me  to  comfort  th«m,  and,  when  I  have  probed 
their  consciences  to  the  quick,  they  have  shuddered,  and' 
Sometimes  taken  the  sinners'  part.  It  is  sometimes  impossi  i 
ble  to  deal  efectually  with  youth  who  are  anxious,  in  tho 
presence  of  their  parents,  because  they  have  so  much  more 
compassion  for  their  children,  than  regard  to  the  honor  of 
God,  This  is  all  wi^ong,  and  with  such  views  and  feehngs 
you  had  better  hold  your  tongue,  than  to  say  any  tiling  .to  the 
anxious. 

1.  One  of  the  ways  in  which  people  give  false  comfort  to 
distressed  sinners,  is,  by  asking  yiism  "  What  have  you  done  ? 
you  are  not  so  bad."  They  see  tliem  distressed,  and  cry  out, 
"  Why,  what  have  you  done  ?"  as  if  they  had  never  done  any- 
thing wicked,  and  had  in  reahty  no  occasion  to  ferl  distressed 
at  all.  I  have  before  mentioned,  the  case  of  a  fashionable 
lady,  who  was  awakened  in  this.city,  and  was  going  to  see  a 
minister  to  converse  with. him,  when  she  was  met  by  a  friend, 
who  turned  her  back,  and  drove  off  her"  anxiety,  by  the  cry, 
"  What  have  you  done,  to  make  you  feel  so  ?  I  am  snre 
you  have  never  committed  any  sin,  that  need  to  make  you 
feel  so."* 

I  have  often  met  with  cases  of  this  land.  A  mother  will 
tell  her  son,  who  is  anxious,  what  an  .Qb(^.dienfc  child  he  has 

•  I  believd  the  reporter  passed  over  and",  did  not  mfintion  this  caso. 


'8^  VALSB  COMFOBTS  FOB  SnrNBBS. 

always  been,  how  good  and  how  kind,  and  she  begs  him  not 
to  take  on  so.  So  a  husband  will  tell  his  wife,  or  a  wife  her 
husband,  how  good  they  are,  and  ask,  "  What  have-you  done  ?" 
When  they  see  thera  in  gieat  distress,  they  begin  to  comfort 
them,  "  AVhy  you  are  not  so  bad.  "You  have  been  to  hear 
that  friglitfuf  minister,  that  frightens  people,  and  you  have 
got  excited.  Be  comforted,  for  I  am  sure  you  have  not  been 
bad  enough  to  feel  so  much  distressed."  When  the  truth  is, 
they  have  been  a  great  deal  worse  than  they  think  they  have. 
No  sinner  ever  had  an  idea  that  his  sins  were  gi'eater  than 
they  are.  No  sinner  ever  had  an  adequate  idea  of  hoW  great 
a  sinner  he  is.  It  Is  not  probable  that  any  man  could  hve 
nnder  the  full  sight  of  his  sins.  God  h^,  in  mercy,  spared 
all  his  creatures  on  earth  that  worst  of  sights,  a  naked  human 
heart.  The  sinner's  guilt  is  much  more  deep  and  damning 
than  he  thmks,  and  his  danger  is  much  greater  than  he  thinks 
it  is,  and  if  he  should  see  them  as  they  are,  probably  he  would 
not  hve  a  moment.  A  sinner  may  have  some  false  notions  on 
the  subject,  that  creates  distress,  which  have  no  foundation,  i 
He  may  think  he  has  committed  the  unpardon&ble  sin,  or  that 
he  has  gneved  away  the  Spii'it,  or  sinned  away  his  day  of 
grace.  But  to  tell  the  most  moral  and  naturally  amiable  per- 
son in  the  world  that  he  is  good  enough,  or  that  he  is  not  90 
bad  as  he  thinks  he  is,  is  not  giving  him  rational  comfort,  bat 
is  deceiving  him,  and  ruining  his  souL  Let  those  who  doit,! 
take  care. 

2.  Others  tell  awakened  sinners  that  ♦'  Conversion  is  a  pro-' 
gressive  work,"  and  in  this  way  ease  their  anxiety.  When  a 
man  is  distressed,  because  he  sees  himself  to  be  such  a  sinner, 
.and  that  imless  he  tums  to  God,  he  will  be  damned  ;  it  is  a 
great  relief  to  have  some  fi'iend  hold  out  the  idea  that  he  can 
get  better  by  degrees,  and  that  he  is  now  coming  on,  by  httle 
and  httle.  They  tell  him,  *'  Why  you  cannot  expect  to -get 
along  all  at  once  ;  I  do  not  beheve  in  these  sudden  conver- 
sions, you  must  wait  and  let  it  work ,  you  have  begim  well, 
and  by  and  by  you  will  get  comfort"  All  this  is  false  as  tlie 
bottomless  pit.  The  truth  is,  Regeneration,  or  conversion,,  is 
no<  a  progressive  work  What  is  regeneration  ?  What  is  it 
but  the  beginning  of  obedience  to  God  ?  And  is  the  beginning 
of  a  thing  progressive  ?  I,t  is  the  first  act  of  genuine  obedi- 
ence to  God — -the  first  voluntary  action  of  the  mind  that  is 
what  God  approves,  or  that  can  be  regarded  as  obedience  to 
God.  That  is  conversion.  When  persons  talk  about  convex 
fiion  as  a  progressive  work,  it  is  absurd.  They  show  that 
piey  know  just  as  much  about  regeneration  or  conversion,  asj 


-•paXSTBTCDSIFOKTB^  "FOK  SJmTEna,  5^ 

Nicodemus  did  They  know  nothing  about  it,  as  they  ought 
to  know,  and  are  no  more  fit  to  conduct  an  anxious  meet- 
ing, or  to  advise  or  insti'uct  anxious  smnex-s,  than  Nicod©- 
mus  was. 

3.  Another  way  in  which  anxious  sinners  are  deceived  with 
false  comfort,  is  by  being  advised  to  dismiss  the  subject  for  the 
present. 

Men  who  are  supposed  to  be  wise  and  good,  have  assumed 
to  be  so  much  wiser  than  God,  that  when  God  is  dealing  with 
a  sinner,  by  his  Spirit,  and  endeavoring  to  bring  him  to  an 
immediate  decision  ;  they  think  God  is  crowding  too  hard,  and 
that  it  is  necessary  for  them  to  interfere  ;  and  they  will  advise 
the  person  to  take  a  nde,  or  go  into  company,  or  engage  in 
business,  or  sometliing  that  will  rehcve  his  mind  a  little,  at 
least  for  the  present.  They  might  just  as  well  say  to  God,  .in 
plain  words,  "0  God,  you  are  too  hard,  you  go  too  fast,  you 
^oll  make  him  crazy,  or  kill  him,  he  cannot  stand  it ;  poor  crea- 
ture, if  he  is  so  pressed,  he  will  die."  Just  so  they  take  sides 
against  God,  and  do  the  same  as  to  tell  tlie  sinner  himself 
"  God  win  make  you  crazy  if  you  do  not  dismiss  the  subject^ 
and  resist  the  Spirit,  and  drive  him  away  from  your  mind." 

Such  advice,  if  it  be  tnily  conviction  of  sin  that  distresses 
the  smner,  is  in  no  case,  either  safe  or  lawful.  The  stnvings  of 
the  Spirit,  to  bring  a  sinner  to  himself,  will  never  hurt  him, 
nor  diive  him  crazy.  He  may  make  himself  deranged  by  re- 
sisting, but  it  is  blasphemous,  to  think,  that  the  blessed,  wise 
and  benevolent  Spirit  of  God,'  would  ever  conduct  with  so 
•httle  care,  as  to  derange  and  destroy  the  soul  he  came  to 
sanctify  and  save.  The  proper  couise  to  take  with  a  sinner, 
-when  the  striving  of  the  Spirit  throws  him  into  distress,  is,  to 
instruct  him,  to  clear  up  his  views,  correct  his  mistakes,  and 
make  the  way  of  salvation  so  plain  that  he  can  see  it  right 
before  him.  Not  to  dismiss  tne  subject^  but  faU  in  ^vith  the 
Spirit,,  and  thus  hush  all  those  dreadful  agonies  which  are 
pro<luced  by  resisting  the  Holy  Ghost.  llEMEMBER,  if  an 
awakened  sinner  voluntarily  dismiss  the  subject  once,  proba« 
bly  he  will  never  take  it  up  again. 

4.  Sometimes  an  awakened  sinner  is.  comforted  by  being 
told  -that  religion  does  not  con^'^t  in  feeling  bad.  I  once  heard 
of  a  Doctor  of  Divinit}^  gi^^ng  an  anxious  sinner  such  coun- 
sel, when  he  was  actually  wi-ithing  under  the  arrows  of  the 
Almighty.  Said  he,  "Religion  is  cheerful,  religion  is  not 
gloomy,  do  not  be  distressed,  be  comforted,  dismiss  your  fears, 
you  should  not  feel  so  bad,"  and  such  like  miberable  comforts, 
wlien,  in  fact^  the  man  had  infinite  reason  to  be  distressed, 


324  ^ALSE   COMTORTS   FOB  SINNBB8, 

for  he  was  resisting  the  Holy  Ghost^  and  in  danger  o/  gne?^ 
iug  him  away  for  ever. 

)  It  is  true,  religion  does  not  consist  in  feehngtmd.  but  the 
sinner  has  reason  to  be  din^rcssea,  because  he  has  Vio.rehgion. 
If  b  had  religion,  he  would  not  feel  so.  Were  Ke  a  Christian, 
he  wouJa  rejoice.  But  to  tell  an  impenitent  sinner  to  be 
cheerful !  why,  you  might  as  well  preach  ihis  doctrine  in  hell, 
and  tell  them  there,  "  Cheer  up  here,  cheer  up,  do  not  feel  so 
bad." 

>  The  sinner  is  on  the  very  verge  of  hell,  he  is  in  rebellion 
against  God,  and  his  danger  is  infinitely  gi-eater  than  he  im- 
agines. Oh,  what  a  doctrine  of  devils !  to  tell  a  rebel  against 
heaven  not  to  be  distressed.  \Miat  is  all  his  distress  but  i*e- 
beUion  itself?  He  is  not  comforted,  because  he  refuses  to  be 
comforted.  God  is  ready  to  comfort  liim.  You  need  not  tliiok 
to'  be  more  compassionate  tlian  God.  He  will  fill  him  with 
comToit,  in  an  insrant,  if  he  wnll  submit.  But  there  he  stands, 
struggling  agamst  God,  and  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  aud 
aganist  conscience,  imtil  he  is  distressed  almost  to  death,  and 
still  he  \vill  not  yield  ;  aud  now  some  one  comes  in,  "  Oh,  I  hate 
to  see  you  feel  so  bad,  do  not  be  so  distressed,  cheer  up,  cheer 
up,  religion  does  not  consist  in  bemg  gloomy,  be  comforted.** 
Honid! 

5.  Whatever  involves  tlie  s^abject  of  religion  in  mystery,  ia| 
calculated  to  give  a  sinner  false  comfort.  . 

When  a  sinner  is  anxious  on  the  subject  of  reKgion,  very 
often,  if  you  becloud  it  in  mystery,  he  will  feel  reheved.  Thej 
sinner's  distress  anses  from  the  pressure  of  present  obhgation.! 
Enlighten  him  on  this  point,  and  clear  it  up,  and  if  he  will  not 
yield,  it  will  only  inci'ease  his  distress.  But  tell  him  that  re- 
generation is  all  a  mysteiy,  something  he  cannot  understand  ; 
and  leave  him  all  in  a  fog  of  darkness,'  and  you  reheve  his 
(anxiety.  It  is  his  dear  view  of  the  nature  and  duty  of  re* 
pentance,-  that  produces  his  disti-ess.  It  is  the  light  that 
brings  agony  to  his  mind,  whUe  he  refuses  to  obey.  It  is  that, 
which  will  make  up  the  pains  of  hell  And  it  wiU  almost 
make  hell  in  the  sinner's  breast  here,  if  only  made  clear 
enough.  But  only  cover  up  this  light,  aud  his  anxiety  will 
immediately  become  Tar  l6ss  acute  and  thrilling.  But  if  you 
lift  up  a  certain  and  dear  Ught,  and  tlash  it  abroad  ujx^n  his 
soul,  and  if  he  will  not  jield,  you  kindle  up  the  tortures  of 
hell  in  his  bosom.  | 

6.  Whatever  relieves  the  sintier  from  a  sense  of  blame,  is  cat 
dilated  to  give  him  false  comfoi-t. 

The  moro  a  man  feel^  himsp.lf  to  blame,  the  deeper  is  hia 


False  comforts  for  siankrs.  325 

distress.  But  anything  that  lessons  his  sense  of  l>lame,  of 
course  lessons  his "  distress,  but  it  is  a  comfort  full  of  death. 
If  auythiuq;  will  help  him  divide  the  blame,  ;ind  tlu'ow  off  a 
part  o£  it  upon  God,  it  will  afford  conifoil.  but  it  is  a  rehef 
tl)at  will  destroy  his  soul. 

'  1.  Ho  tell  him  of  his  incMUy,  is  false  comfort  Tell  an  anx- 
ious sinner  "  What  can  you  do  ?  you  are  a  poor,  feeble  crea- 
tui'G,  you  can  do  nothing."  You  Anil  make  him  feel  a  kiu^  of 
despondency.  But  it  i^  not  that  keen  agony  of  remorse,  with 
"which  God  wrings  the  soul,  wlien  he  is  laboring  to  cut  him 
down  and  biiusr  bim  to  repentance. 

I  *  If  you  tell  nim  he  id  unable  to  comply  with  the  Gospel,  he 
naturally  falfe  en  with  it  fis  a  relief.  He  says  to  himself,  "  Yes, 
I  am  unable,  I  am  a  poor,  feeble  creature,  I  cannot  do  this,  and 
certainly  God  cannot  send  me  to  hell  for  not  doing  what  I 
cannot  do."  AVhy,  if  I  bclie\ed  that  the  sinnei'  was  unaUe,  I 
.would  tell  him  plainly,  "  Do  not  be  afraid,  you  are  not  to  blame 
,for  not  complying  with  the  call  of  the  Gospel  ;  for  you  are 
unable,  and  God  will  never  send  you  to  hell  for  not  doing 
what  you  liave  no  strength  to  do.  Will  not  the  Judge  of 
>U1  the  eaiih  do  right  ?  "  I  know  it  is  not  common  for  those 
kV^ho  talk  about  the  «inuer's  beiug  unable,  to  be  so  consistent, 
and  carry  out  their  theoi-y.  But  the  sinner  infers  all  this,  and 
80  he  feels  relieved-  It  is  all  false,  and  all  the  comfort  de-* 
rived  from  it,  is  only  treasuring  up  wrath  against  the  day  of 
wrath. 

i'  8.  ^Vhatever  makes  the  impression  on  a  sinner's  mind  thaf 
'he  is  to  be  passive  in  religion^  is  calculated  to  give  him  false 
'comfort 

•  Give  him  the  idea  that  he  has  nothmg  to  do  but  to  wait 
God's  time  ;  tell  him  conversion  is  the  work  of  God,  and  he 
ought  to  leave  it  to  him ;  and  that  he  must  be  careful,  not  to 
ti7  to  take  the  work  out  of  God's  hand  ;  and  he  will  iufcr^  a^s 
before,  HhsX  he  is  not  to  blame,  and  will  feel  relieved.  If  he  is 
only  to  hold  still,  and  let  God  do  the  work,  jiist  as  a  man 
holds  still  to  have  his  arm  amputated,  Vie  feels  relieved.  But 
Buch  instruction  -as  this,  is  all  wron^.  If  the  sinner  is  thus  to 
hold  still  and  let  God  do  it,  he  instantly  infers  that  li£  is  not 
to  blame  for  not  doing  it  himself.  And  the  inference  ib  not 
only  natural  but  legitimate,  for  he  is  not  to  blame. 

It  is  true  that  there  is  a  sense  in  which  conversion  is  the 
work  of  God.  But  it  is  false,  as  it  is  often  represented.  It 
is  also  true  that  there  is  a  sense,  in  which  conversion  is  the 
sinner's  own  act.  It  is  ridiculous,  therefore,  to  say,  that  a 
ainner  is  pa^ive  in  regeneration,  or  passive  in  being  conveit 


826  FALSE  COMFORTS   FOR  SINNER?; 


led, 


for  converaon  is  Ms  own  ncL  The  thin<>  to  be  done  is 
that  which  cannot  be*  done  for  him.  It  is  something  which  he 
must  do,  or  it  will  never  be  done. 

9.  Telling  a  simier  to  tcail  God' ^  time. 

Some  3'ears  ago,  I  met  a  woman  jn  Philadelphia,  who  was 
anxious  about  her  sonl,  and  ha^  bi^en  a  long  time  in  that 
state.  I  conversed  with  lier,  and  endeavored  to  learn  her 
state.  She  told  me  a  good  many  things,  and  finally  said  she 
blew  she  onght  to  be  willing  to  wait  on  God  as  long  as  he 
had  waited  upon  her.  She  said,  God  had  waited  on  her  a 
great  many  years',  before  she  would  give  any  attention  to  his 
calls,  and  now  she  behoved  it  was  her  duty  to  wait  God's  time 
to  show  mercy  and  convert  her  soul.  And  she  said,  this  was 
the  instruction  she  had  received.  She  must  be  patient,  and 
wait  God's  time,  and  by  and  by  he  would  give  her  rehe£  Ob, 
aniazing  foUy ! 

Here  is  the  sinner  in  rebellion.  God  comes  with  pardon  in 
one  hancTv  and  a  sword  in  the  other,  and  tells  the  siimer  to 
repent  and  receive  pardon,  or  refuse  and  perish.  And  now 
here  comes  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  tells  the  sinner  to 
"  wait  God's  titne."  Virtually  he  says,  tliat  God  is  not  ready 
to  have  him  repent  now,  and  is  not  ready  to  pardon  him  nowy 
find  thus,  in  fact,  throws  off  the  blame  of  his  impenitence 
upon  God.  Instead"  of  poiutmg  out  the  sinner's  guilt,  in  not 
submitting  at  once  to  God,  he  points  out  God's  insincerity  in 
making  the  offer,  when,  in  fact,  he  was  not  ready  to  grant  the 
blessing. 

I  have  often  tliotight  such  tcachei-s  needed  the  rebiiko  of 
Elijah  when  he  met  t^e  priests  of  BaaL  "  Cry  aloud,  for  he 
is  a  God  ;  either  he  is  talking,  or  he  is  pursuhig,  or  he  is  in  a 
JGm*uey  ;  or  peradventure  he  slcepeth,  and  nmst  be  awaked." 
The  minister  who  \§ntures  to  intimate  that  God  is  not  ready, 
and  that  teUs  the  sinner  to  wait  God's  time,  might  almost  as 
well  tell  him,  that  now  God  is  i^eep,  or  gone  on  a  journey, 
and  cannot  attend  to  him  at  present  ISIiserable  comfoi-ters 
indeed !  It  is  httle  less  than  outrageous  blasphemy  of  God. 
How  many  liave  gone  to  the  judgment,  red  all  over  with  the 
blood  of  souls,  tliat  they  have  deceived  and  destroyed,  by  tell- 
ing them  God  was  not  ready  to  save  tliem,  jand  they  must 
wait  God's  time.  No  doubt,  such  a  doctrine  is  exceedingly 
calculated  to  affprd  present  relief  to  an  anxious  sinner.  It 
warrants  him  to  say,  "  Oh,  yes,  God  is  not  ready,  I  must  wait 
Gt)d*H  time  and  so  I  can  hve  in  sin,  and  take  it  out  a  while 
longer,  till  he  gets  ready  to  attend  to  me,  and  then  I  will  ge^ 
jeUgion.** 


FALSE    C0MF0KT6    FOR  SINNERS.  S27 

10.  It  is  false  comfoi^t  to  tell  an  anxious  sinner  to  do  any- 
thing for  relief  wliich  he  can  do^  and  not  svbnilt  his  heart  to 
God. 

•  An  anxious  sinner  is  often  willing  to  do  anything  else,  but 
the  very  thing  "which  God  requires  him  to  do.  He  is  \a  illing 
to  go  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  or  to  pay  his  money,  or  to  en- 
dure suffering,  or  anything,  but  full  and  instantaneous  sub- 
roission  to  God.  Now,  if  you  will  compromise  the  matter 
with  him,  and  tell  liim  of  something  else  that  he  may  do,  and 
yet  evade  that  pointy  he  will  be  very  much  comforted.  He 
likes  that  instruction.  He  says,  "  Oh,  yes,  I  will  do  that,  I  like 
that  minister,  he  is  not  so  severe  as  others,  he  S3ems  to  un- 
derstand my  particular  case,  and  knows  how  to  make  allow- 
ances." 

It  often  reminds  me  of  t!ie  conduct  of  &  patient  who  is 
Tery  sick,  but  has  a  great  dislike  for  a  certain  physician  and 
a  particular  medicine,  but  that  is  the  very  physician  who  alone 
understands  treating  his  disease,  and  that  the  only  remedy 
for  it.  Now  the  patient  is  willing  to  do  anything  else,  and 
call  in  any  other  physician  ;  and  he  is  anxious  and  in  dis- 
tress, and  is  asking  all  his  friends  if  they  cannot  tell  him  what 
he  shall  do,  and  he  will  take  all  the  nostrums  and  quack 
medicines  in  the  country,  before  he  will  submit  to  the  only 
course  tliat  can  bring  liim  rchef.  By  and  by,  after  he  has 
tried  everything  without  any  benefit,  if  he  does  not  die  in  the 
expeiiment,  he  gives  up  his  unreasonable  opposition,  calls  in 
the  physician,  takes  the  proper  medicine,  and  is  ciured.  Just 
60  it  is  with  sinners.  They  will  eagerly  do  anything,  if  you 
wiU  let  them  off  fi'om  this  intolerable  pressure  of  present  ob- 
ligation to  submit  to  God.  I  will  mention  a  few  of  the 
things  which  sinners  are  told  to  do. 

(1.)  Telling  a  sinner  he  must  vsc  the  means.  Tell  an  anx- 
ious sinner  this — You  must  use  the  means,  and  he  is  relieved. 
"Oh,  yes,  I  will  do  that,  if  that  is  all.  I  thought  that  God 
required  me  ta  repent  and  submit  to  him  now.  But  if  using 
the  means  will  answer,  I  will  do  thai  with  all  my  heart" 
fie  was  distressed  before,  because  he  was  cornered  up,  and 
did  not  know  which  way  to  turn.  Conscience  had  beset  liim, 
like  a  wall  of  fire,  and  urged  him  to  repent  now.  But  this 
relieves  him  at  once,  and  he  feels  better,  and  is  very  Uiankful, 
he  saye,  that  he  found  such  a  good  adviser  in  his  distress.  But 
he  may  use  the  means,  as  he  calls  it,  till  the  day  of  judg- 
ment, and  not  be  a  particle  the  better  for  it,  but  will  only 
hasten  his  way  to  death.  What  is  the  sinnesf's  use  of  means, 
bat  rebdlion  against  God?^)  God  uses  means.    The  church 


328  FALSE  COMPORTS   FOB  SlNIfEBi. 

0888  means  to  convert  and  save  sinners,  to  bear  down  npoo 
them,  and  brin^  them  to  submission.  But  what  has  the  sin- 
ner to  do  with  using  means  ?  Will  you  set  him  to  use  means 
back  upon  God,  and  so  make  an  offset  in  the  matter  ?  Or  is 
he  to  usfe  means  to  make  himself  submit  to  God  ?  How  shall 
he  go  to  work  with  his  means  to  make -himself  submit?  It  is 
just  teUing  the  sinner,  "  You  need  not  submit  to  God  now, 
but  just  use  the  meaps  awMle,  and  see  if  you  cannot  melt 
God's  heart  down  to  you,  so  that  he  wfll  yield  this  point  of 
unconditional  submission.**  It  is  a  mere  cavil  to  evade  the 
duty  of  immediate  submission  to  God.  It  is  true  that  sin- 
ners, actuated  by  a  regard  to  their  own  happiness,  ofter^  give 
attention  to  the  subject  of  religion,  attend  meetings,  and  pi  ay, 
and  read,  and  many  such  things.  But  in  all  this,  they  have 
no  regard  to  the  honor  of  God,  nor  do  they  so  much  as  mean 
to  obey  him.  Their  design  is  not  obedience,  for  if  it  were, 
they  would  not  be  impenitent  sinners.  They  are  not,  there- 
fore, using  means  \o  be  Christians,  but  to  obtain  pardon,  and 
a  hopa  It  is  absurd  to  say  that  an  impenitent  sinner  is  using 
means  to  repent,  for  this  is  the  same  as  to  say  that  he  is  will- 
ing to  repent,  or,  in  other  words,  that  he  does  repent,  and  is 
not  an  in;ipenit6nt  sinner.  So,  to  say  that  an  imcon verted 
sinner  uses  means  with  design  to  become  a  Christian,  is  a  con- 
tradiction, for  it  is  saying  that  he  is  willing  to  be  a  Christian, 
which  is  the  same  as  to  say  that  he  is  a  Christian  already. 

(2.)  Telling  the  sinner  to  pmj/  for  a  new  heart.  I  once 
heard  a  celebrated  Sunday-school  teacher  do  this.  He  was 
almost  the  fathcar  of  Sunday-schools  in  this  country.  'He 
called  a  httle  girl  up  to  him,  and  began  to  talk  to  her.  "  My 
little  daughter,  are  you  a  Christian?"  No,- sir.  "Well,  you 
cannot  be  a  Christian  yourself,  can  you  T  ]^o,  su:.  "  No, 
you  cannot  be  a  Christian,  you  cannot  change  your  heart 
yourself,  but  you  must  pray  for  a  new  heart,  that  is  all  you 
can  do,  pray  to  God,  God  will  give  you  a  new  heart.*'  He 
was  an 'aged  and  venerable  man,  but  I  felt  almost  disposed  to 
rebuke  him  openly  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  I  could  not  bear 
to  hear  him  deceive  that  child,  telling  her  she  could  not  be  a 
Christian.  Does  God  say  **  Pray  for  a  new  heart  T  Never: 
He  says,  "  Make  you  a  new  heart**  And  the  sinner  is  not  to 
be  told  to  pray  to  God  to  do  his  duty  for  him,  but  to  go  and 
do  it  himself.  I  know  the  Psali^piist,  a  good  man^  prayed, 
"  Create  m  me  a  clean  heart,  and  renew  a  right  spirit  within 
me."  He  \\^^  faith  and  prayed  in  faith.  But  that  is  a  very 
different  thing  from  setting  an  obstinate  rebel  to  pray  fear  a 
tiew  heart     No  doubt,  an  anxious  sinner  will  "be  delighted 


'^FAUSE   COMFOKTS'  FOR   SlNNEUSb 

frt^  sach  instruction.  Why,  J  knew  I  needed  a  new  hearf 
and  that  I  ought  to  repent,  but  I  thought  I  must  do  it  my^ 
Belf,  I  am  very  willing  to  ask  God  to  dp  it,  I  hated  to  do  it 
myself,  but  have  no  objection  that  God  should  do  it,  if  he 
wUl,  and  I  will  pray  for  it,  if  that 'is  all  that  is  requii-ed.**  j 
(3.)  Telhng  the  sinner  to /)e/-.96'Z7pr£'.  And  suppose  he  does 
persevere.  He  is  as  ceitain  to  be  damned  as  if  he  had  been- 
in  heU  ever  since  the  foundation  of  the  world.  His  anxiety 
arises  only  from  his  resistance,  and  if  he  would  submit,  it 
would  cease.  And  now,  will  you  tell  him  to  persevere  in  t^e 
very  thing  that  causes  his  distress  ?  Suppose  my  child 
should,  m  a  fit  of  passion,  throw  a  book  or  something  on  the 
floor.  I  tell  hun  "  Take  it  up,"  and  instead  of  minding  what 
I  say,  he  runs  off  and  plays.  "  Take  it  up '  "  He  sees  I  am 
in  earnest,  and  begins  to.  look  serious.  ">  "  Take  it  up,  or  I 
shall  get  a  rod"  And  I  put  up  my  arm  to  get  the  rod  He 
stands  still.  "Take  it  up,  or  you  must  be  whipped"  He 
comes  slowly  along  to  the  place,  and  then  begms  to  weep. 
"Take  it  up,  my  child,  or  ^^ou  will  certainly  be  punished** 
Now  he  IS  m  discress,  and  sobs  and  sighs  as  if  Ins  bosom 
would  burst,  but  still  remains  as  stubborn  as  if  he  Imew  I 
could  not  punish  him.  Now  I  begm  to  press  him  with  mo- 
tives to  submit  and  obey,  but  there  he  stands,  in  agony,  and 
at  length  bursts  out,  "  Oh,  father,  I  do  feel  so  bad,  I  think  I 
am  growing  better."  And  now,  suppose  a  neighbor*  to  come 
in,  and  see  the  child  staadmg  there,  in  ah  this  agony  of  stub- 
bornness. The  neighbor  asks  him  what  he  is  standing  there 
fojr,  and  .what  he  is  doing.  "  Oh,  I  am  using  means  to  pick 
up  that  book.**  If  this  neighbor  should  tell  the  child,  "  Per- 
severe,  persevere,  m}^  boy,  you  wdll  get  it  by  and  by,"  what 
should  I  do?  Why^  I  would  turn  him  out  of  the  housa 
What  does  he  mean  by  encoui'aging  my-  child  in  his  rebel- 
lion? 

-  Now,  God  calls  the  sinner  to  repent,  he  threatens  him,,  he 
draws  the  guttering  sword,  he  persuades  him,  he  -uses  mo- 
tives, and  the  simier  is  distressed  to  agony,  for  he  sees  him- 
self 4i'iven  to  the  dreadfiil  alternative  of  giving  up  his  sins 
or  going  to  hell.  He  ought  instantly  to  lay  down  his  weap- 
cms,  and  break  his  heart  at  once.  But  he  resists,  and  strug- 
gles against  conviction,  and  that  creates  his  distress.  Now  ' 
will  you  tell  Imn  to  persevere V  Persevere  in  what?  In  strug- / 
giing  agamst  God  !  That  is  just  the  direction  the  de^ni  would 
give.  Ail  the  devil  wants  is  to  see  him  persevere  in  just  the" 
way  he  is  going  on,  and  his  destruction  is  sure.  Satan  ma^ 
go  to  sleep. 


330  FALSE   COMfORTB   FOR  8LNN£B% 

(4.)  Telling  the  sinner  to  press  forward. .  That  is,  "Ton 
axe  in  a  good  way,  only  press  forward,  and  you  will  get  to 
heaven-"  This  is  on  the  supposition  that  his  face  is  towards- 
Jieaven,  when  in  fact  his  face  is  towards  heD,  and  ho  is  press- 
ing forward,  and  never  more  rapidly  than .  now,  while  he  is 
resisting  the  Holy  Ghost.  Often  have  I  heard  this  dn-ection 
given,  when  the  sinner  was  in  as  bad  a  way  as  he  could  be. 
What  you  ought  to  tell  him  is,  "  STOP — sinner,  stop,  do  not 
take  another  step  that  way,  it  leads  to  hell."  God  tells  him 
to  stop,  and  because  he  does  not  wish  to  stop,  he  is  distressed. 
Now,  why  should  you  attempt  to  comfort  him  m  this  way  ?  i 
'  (5.)  Tell  af  sinner  that  he  must  try  to  repent  and  give'his  heart 
to  God.  "  Oh,  yes,"  says  the  sinner,  ''I  am  willing  to  try,  I  have 
often  tried  to  do  it,  and  I  will  try  again."  Ah,  does  God 
tell  you  to  tiy  to  repent  ?  All  the  world  would  be  willing 
to  try  to  repent,  in  their  way.  Giving  this  direction  implies 
that  it  is  very  difficult  to  repent,  and  perhaps  impossible,  and 
that  the  best  thing  a  sinner  can  do  is  to  try  and  see  whether 
he  can  do  it  or  not.  What  is  this  but  substituting  youi*  own 
commandment  in  the  place  of  God's.  God  requires  nothing 
short  of  repentance  and  a  holy  heart  Anything  shoi-t  of 
that  is  comfortmg  him  in  vain,  "  seeing  in  your  answers  there 
i*emaineth  falsehood." 

I  (C.)  To  tell  him  to  prtiy  for  repentance.  "Oh  yes,  I  will 
pray  for  repentance,  if  that  is  all.  I  was  distressed  because 
I  thought  God  required  me  to  repent,  but  if  he  will  do  it,  I 
can  wait"  And  so  he  feels  reHeved,  and  is  quite  comfort abla 
I  (7.)  To  teU  a  sinner  to  pray  for  conviction,  or  pray  for  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  show  him  his  sinS,  or  to  latfor  to  get  mo)'e  lighl 
on  the  subject  of  his  giiilt,  in  order  to  increase  his  convio- 
tion. 

>  All  this  is  just  what  the  sinner  wants,  becausfe  it  lets  him 
off  from  the  pressui*e  of  present  obligation.  He  wants  just  a 
Lttle  more  time.  Anything  that  wiU  defer  that  present  pres- 
sure of  obhgation  to  repent  immediately  is  a  rebel  What 
does  he  want  more  conviction  for  ?  Does  God  give  any  such 
direction  to  tm  impenitent  sinner  ?  God  takes  it  for  granted 
that  he  has  conviction  enough  already.  And  so  he  has.  Do 
you  say  he  cannot  realize  all  his  sins  ?  If  he  can  realize  onli/ 
one  of  them,  let  him  repent  of  that  one,  and  he  is  a  Chritf 
tian.  Suppose  he  could  see  them  all,  what  reason  is  there  to 
think  he  would  repent  of  them  aU,  any  more  than  that  he 
would  repent  of  that  one  that  he  does  see?  All  this  is  com- 
forting the  sinner  by  setting  him  to  do  that  which  he  can  do 
and  will  not  submit  his  heart  to  God. 


FALSE   COMFORTS    FOB   SINXERS.  931 

IL  Another  way  in  which  false  comfort  is  given  to  anx- 
Ions  sinners,  is  to  tell  them  Gnd  is  Iryinq  their  fa\ih  hy  kfef> 
ing  them  in  the  fin  nace^  and  they  must  wait  patiently  upon 
the  Lord  Just  as  if  God  .was  in  faulty  or  stood  m  tlio  way, 
of  his  being  a  Christian.  Or  as  if  an  impenitent  sinner  had 
faith !^  What  an  abomination!  Suppose  somebjoily  should 
tell  my  child,  while  he  was  standing  by  the  book  as  I  have  do 
scribed,  "  Wait  patiently,  boy,  your  father  is  tiymg  yoiu 
faith."  No.  The  sinner  is  trying  the  patience  and  forbear- 
ance of  Grod  God  is  not  settmg  himself  to  toilure.  a  sinner, 
and  teach  hira  a  lesson  of  patience.  But  he  is  wai(mg  upon 
him,  and  laboring  to  bruig  hun  at  nnce  into  such  a  state  x>f 
mind  as  will  render  it  consistent  to  fill  his  soul  with  the 
peace  of  heaven.  And  shall  the  sinner  be  encouia<?ed  to  re- 
sist by  the  idea  that  God  is  bantering?  TAI\JE  CARE.  God 
has  said  his  Spirit  shall  not  always  sthve. 

12.  Another  false  comfort  is  telling  a  sinner,  Do  your  duty, 
and  leave  ymr  ronversiioii  with  G'nl. 

I  once  heard  an  elder  of  a  church  say  to  an  anxious  sin- 
ner, *'  Do  your  duty,  and  leave  your  conversion  to  God,  he 
will  do  it  in  his  own  time  and  way."  That  was  just  the  same 
as  telling  hira  that  it  was  not  ins  duty  to  be  converted  nom. 
He  did  not  say,  Do  your  duty,  and  leave  your  salualion  with 
God.  That  would  have  been  proper  enough,  for  it  would 
have  been  simply  teUing  him  to  submit  to  God,  and  would 
have  included  conversion  as  the  first  duty  of  all.  But  he 
told  him  to  leave  his  coniersion  to  God.  And  this  elder,  that 
gave  such  advice,  was  a  man  of  hberal  education  too.  How 
absurd !  Just  as  if  he  could  do  his  duty  and  not  be  con- 
verted Just  as  if  God  was  going  to  convert  a  sinBer  and 
let  the  sinner  sit  calmly  under  it  m  the  use  of  means.  Hor- 
lible !  Mo.  God  has  requiied  him  to  make  him  a  new  heart, 
and  do  you  beware  how  vou  comfort  Hun  with  an  answer  of 
falsehood 

13.  Sometimes  professors  of  rehgion  ^nll  try  to  comfort  a 
sinner,  by  (eUing  him,  "Do  not  be  discouraged ;  I  7i-cu>  a  long 
time  in  this  way  before  I  found  comfort"  They  wiU  tell  hiin, 
"I  was  under  convicdon  so  many  weeks— or  perhaps  so  many 
months,  or  sometimes  years,  and  have  gone  thiough  with  all 
this,  and  know  just  how  you  feel,  yoiu'  experience  is  the  same 
with  mine,  precisely,  and  after  so  long  a  time  I  found  relief, 
and  I  do  not  doubt  you  will  find  it  by  and  by.  Do  not  d^ 
Bpau*,  God  will  comfort  you  soon."  Tell  a  sinner  to  take 
rxDurage  in  his  rebelhon!  Ch,  horrible!  Such  professors 
ought  to  be  ashamed     Suppose  you  were  under  conviction 


882  F^LSE   COMFORTS  FOB  8IKNEBS. 

BO  many  weeks,  and  afterwards  found  relief,  it  is  the  very  last 
thing  you  ought  to  tell  to  an  anxious  sinner.  What  is  it  bat 
encoura-ging  him  to  hold  on,  when  his  business  is  to  subniit 
Did  you  hold  out  so  many  weeks  while  the  Spirit"  was  strrv- 
ing  with  you?  You  only  deserved  so  much  the  more  to  be 
damned,  .for  your  obstinacy  and  stupidity. 

Sinner  I  it  is  no  sign  God  will  spare  you  so  long,  or  that 
his  Spirit  will  f emain  with  you  to  be  resisted.  And  remem- 
ber, if  the  Spirit  is  taken  away,  you  will  be  sent  to  helL 

14.  "  I  have  faith  to  beheve  you  will  be  converted." 

You  havefaith  to  beKeve I  On  what  does  your  faith  rest? 
On  the  promise  of  God?  On  the  influences  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  ?  Then  you  are  counteracting  your  own  £dth^  The 
very  design  and  object  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  is,  to  tear* away- 
from  the  sinner  his  last  vestige  of  a  hope,  while  remaining 
in  sin  ;  to  annihilate  every  crag  and  twig  he  may  ding  to. 
And  the  object  of  your  instruction  should  be  the  same,  ipu 
should  fall  in  with  the  plan  of  God*  It  is  only  in  this  way 
that  you  can  ever  do  any  good,  by  crowding  him  right  up  to 
the  work,  to  submit  at  once  and  leave  his  soul  in  ^e  hands 
of  God.  But  when  one  that  he  thinks  is  a  Christian  tdls 
him,  "  I  have  faith  to  believe  you  will  be  converted,^"  it  up- 
holds him  in  Lis  false  expectation.  Instead  of  tearing  him 
away  from  his  false  hopes,  and  throwing  him  upon  Chiisti 
you  just  turn  him  off  to  hang  upon  your  faith,  and  find  com* 
fort  because  you  have  faith  for  hirn;  This  is  all  false  com- 
fort, that  worketh  death. 

15.  "  I  will  pray  for  you."  Sometimes  professors  of  religion 
try  to  comfort  an  anxious  sinner  in  this  way,  by  tellm^  him, 
"I  will  pray  for  you."  This  is  false  comfort,  for  it  lead^the 
sinner  to  trust  in  those  prayers,  instead  of  trusting  m  Christ 
The  sinner  says,  "He  is  a  good  man,  and  God  hears  the 
prayers  of  good  men,  no  doubt  his  prayers  will  prevail  some 
time,  and  I  shall  be  converted,  I  do  not  think  I  shall  be  lost." 
And  his  anxiety,  his  agony,  is  all  gone.  A  woman  said  to  a 
Ininister,  "I  have  no  hope  now,  but  I  have  faith  in  your 
prayers.'*  Just  such  faith,  this  is,  as  the  devil  wants  them 
to  have — faith  in  prayers  instead  of  faith  m  ChnsU 

16.  "  I  rejoice  to  see  you  in  this  way,  and  I  hope  you  will 
be  faithful,  and  hold  out."  "What  is  that  but  rejoicing  to  see* 
him  in  rebeUion  agamst  God?  For  that  is  precisely  the 
ground  on  which  he  stands.  He  is  resisting  conviction,  and* 
reaistmg  conscience,  and  resistmg  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  yet 
you  rejoice  to  see  him  in  this  way,  and  hope  he  will  be  fakh* 
ful  and  hold  out    There  ?«  ^  sei^se^  mdeed,  in  which  it  xziaj 


FALSE    COMFORTS    FOB   SINNERS.  339 

be  said  that  his  situation  is  more  hopeful  than  when  he  was 
in  stupidity.  For  God  has  convinced  him,  and  may  succeed 
in  turmng  and  subdumg  him.  But  that  is  not  the  ssnse  in 
which  the  sinner  himself  will  undei*stand  it  He  will  suppose 
that  you  thmk  him  in  a  hopeful  way,  because  he  is  doing  bet- 
ter than  formerly.  When  his  guilt  and  danger  are,  in  fact, 
greater  than  they  ever  were  before.  And  instead  of  rejocing, 
you  ought  to  be  distressed  and  in  agony,  to  see  him  thud  re- 
sisting the  Holy  Ghost,. for  every  moment  he  does  this,  he  is 
in  danger  of  being  left  of  God,  and  given  up  to  hardness  of 
heart  and  to  despair. 

17.  "  You  wiU  have  your  pay  for  this,  by  and  by,  God  will 
reward  you."  Yes,  sinners,  God  luiU  reward  you,  if  you  con* 
4;inue  in  this  way,  he  will  put  you  m  the  fires  of  hell.  Re- 
ward foi:  all  this  distress !  Yes,  if  you  are  ever  rewarded  for' 
it,  it  will  be  m  hell.  I  once  heard  a  sinner  say,  *'  I  feel  very 
bad,  I  have  strong  hopes  that  I  shall  get  my  reward."  But 
th'at  individual  afterwards  said,  "  Nowhere  can  there  be  fomid 
so  black  a  sinner  as  I  am,  and  no  sui  of  my  life  seems  so 
black,  and  damning  as  that  expression."  He  was  overwhelmed 
with  -contrition,  that  he  should  ever  have  had  such  an  idea, 
as  to  think  God  would  rewai'd  him  for  suffering  so  much 
distip-^;^,  when  he  brought  it  all  upon  himself,  needlessly,  by 
his  wicked  resistance  to  the  truth.  The  truth  is,  what  such 
people  want,  is  to  comfort  the  sinner,  and  being  all  m  the 
dark  themselves  on  the  subject  of  religion,  they  of  coui*se 
give  him  false  comfort 

18.  Another  false  comfort,  is  to  tell  the  sinner  he  has  not  re- 
periled  enough.  The  truth  is,  he  has  not  repented  at  all.  -God 
always  comforts,  the  sinner  as  soon  as  he  repents.  This  direc- 
tion imphes  that  his  feelings  are  right  as  far  as  they  go.  To 
imply  that  he  has  any  repentance,  is  to  tell  him  a  he,  and 
cheat  him  out  of  his  soul 

19.  People  sometimes  comfort  a  smner  by  telling  him  *'  If 
you  are  elected,  you  will  be  brought  m."  I  once  heard  of  a 
case  where  a  person  under  great  distress  of  mmd  was  sent  to 
converse  with  a  neighboriag  minister.  They  conversed  a 
long  time.  As  the  person  went  away,  the  mmister  said  to 
him,  *'  I  should  like  to  write  a  hne  by  you,  to  your  father." 
His  father  was  a  pious  man.  The  minister  wrote  tlie  letter, 
and  forgot  to  seal  it  As  the  sinner  was  gomg  home,  he  saw 
that  the  letter  was  not  sealed,  and  he  thought  to  himself, 
that  probably  the  minister  had  written  about  him,  and  hi^ 
curiosity  at  len^^th  led  him  to  open  and  read  it  And  there 
be  found  it  written  to  this  puj:port :  "  Dear  sir.  I  hnd  youi 


334  FALSE  COMFORTS  FOB  SINNERS. 

'son  under  conviction,  and  in  great  distress,  and  it  seems  not, 
easy  to  say  anything  to  give  him  relief.  But,  if  he  is  one  of 
the  elect,  he  will  surely  be  brought  in/*  He  wanted  to  say 
something  to  comfort  the  father.  But  now,  mark.  That 
letter  had  well-nigh  ruined  his  soul.  He  settled  down 
on  the  doctiine  of  election — "  If  I  am  elected,  I  shaU  be 
brought  in,"  and  his  conviction  was  all  gone.  Yeai-s  jiftcr . 
wards  he  was  awakened  and  converted,  but  only  after  a  gi^etit 
struggle,  and  never  uutil  that  f.ilse  impression  was  obhtei-- 
ated  from  his  mind,  and  he  was  made  to  sec  that  he  had  no- 
thing at  all  to  do  with  the  doctrine  of  election,  but  if  he  did 
not  rei)ent,  he  would  be  damned.^ 

20.  It  is  very  common  for  some  people  to  tell  an  awakened 
sinner,  "  You  ai-e  in  a  very  prosperous  way,  I  am  glad  to  sec 
you  so,  and  feel  encoiu*aged  about  you."  It  sometimes  seems 
as  if  the  chui'ch  were  in  league  with  the  devil  to  help  sinners 
resist  the  Holy  Ghost*  The  thing  that  the  Holy  Ghost  wants 
to  make  the  sinner  feel,  is,  that  ail  his  ways  ai'e  wrong,  and 
that  they  lead  to  hell.  And  everybody  is  conspiring  to  make 
the  opposite  impression.  The  Spirit  is  ti-yiug  to  discourage 
him,  and  they  are  trying  to  encourage  him  ;  the  Spirit  to 
idistress,  by  showing  him  he  is  aU  wrong,  and  they  to  comfort 
ihim  by  saying  he  is  doing  well  Has  it  come  to  tins,  that 
the  worst  coimteraction  to  the  truth,  and  the  gi'catest  obstacle 
to  the  Spirit  shall  sprmg  from  the  church?  Sinner!  Do 
not  beheve  any  such  thing.  You  ai'c  not  in  a  Hopeful  way. 
You  are  not  doing  well,  but  ill ;  as  ill  as  you  can,  while  resist- 
ing  the  Holy  Ghost. 

21.  Another  very  fatal  way  in  which  f^se  comfort  is  given 
to  sinners,  is  by.  applying  to  them  certain  Scripture  promises, 
which  were  designed  only  for  saints.  This  is  a  grand  device 
of  the  devil.  It  is  much  practised  by  the  Universalists.  But 
Christians  often  do  it.     For  example  : 

(1.)  "  Blessed  are  they  that  mom-n,  for  they  shall  be  com- 
forted." How  often  has  this  passage  been  apphed  to  anxious 
sinners,  .who  were  in  distress  because  they  would  not  submit 
to  God  ;  blessed  are  ye  that  mo^m.  Indeed!  That  is  tine, 
whei'e  they  mourn  with  godly  sorrow.  But  what  is  tliis  sin- 
ner mourning  about  ?  He  is  mourmng  because  God's  law 
is  holy  and  his  terms  of  salvation  so  fixed  that  he  cannot 
bring  them  down  to  his  mind.  Tell  such  a  r^bel — Blessed 
are  they  that  mourn !  You  might  just  as  well  apply  it  to 
tiiose  that  are  in  hell.  There  is  mourning  there  too.  The 
sinner  is  mourning  because  there  is  no  other  way  of  salvation, 
because  God  is  so  holy  that  he  requires  him  to  give  up  al] 


PALBE  OOMPOniB  POli  SINNEES.  335 

bis  sins,  and  he  feels,  that  the  time  has  come,  that  he  must 
either  give  them  up,  or  be  damned.  Shall  we  tell  him,  he 
shall  be  comforted  ?.  Go  and  tell  the  devil,  "  Poor  (le\-il,  you 
mourn  now,  but  the  Bible  says  you  are  blessed  if  you  mourn, 
and  you  shall  be  comforted  by  and  by. 

I  (2.)  "  They  that  seek  shall  find."  This  is  said  to  sinners 
[in  such  a  way  as  to  imply  that  the  anxious  snmer  is  seeking 
Teligion.  This  pi'omiye  was  made  in  referent"  to  Christians, 
who  ask  in  faith,  and  seek  to  do  the  will  of  God,  and  is  not 
apphcable  to  those  who  are  seeking  hope  or  comfort,  but  to 
holy  seelring.  To  apply  it  to  an  impenitent  sinner,  is  only  to 
deceive  him,  for  his  seeldng  is  not  of  this  character.  To  teU 
him  "  You  are  seeking,  are  you  ?  Well,  seek,  and  you  shall 
find,"  is  to  cherish  a  fatal  delusion.  While  he  remains  im- 
penitent, he  has  not  a  desire,  which  the  devil  might  not  have., 
and  remain  a  devil  still. 

If  he  had  dcsii-e  to  do  his  duty,  if  he  was  seeking  to  do 
the  will  of  God,  and  give  up  his  sins,  he  would  be  a  Clnis- 
tiau.  But  to  comfort  an  unpenitent  sinner,  with  such  a 
promise,  you  might  just  as  well  comfort  Satan, 

(3.)  "Be  not  weary  in  well  doing,  for  in  due  time  you 
shaU  reap  if  you  faint  not."  To  apply  this  to  a  sinner  for 
comfort,  is  absm-d.  Just  as  if  lie  was  doing  something  to 
please  God.  He  has  never  done  well,  and  never  has  done 
more  ill,  than  now.  Suppose  my  neighbor,  who  came  ia 
wliUo  I  was  tr^dng  to  subdue  my  child,  should  say  to  the. 
child,  "  In  due  time  you  shall  reap,  if  you  faint  not,"  what 
should  I  say?  "Rciip,  yes,  you  shall  reap,  if  you  do  not 
give  up  your  obstinacy,  you  shall  reap  indeed,  for  I  will  ap- 
ply the  rod."  So  the  stiiiggling  sinner  shaU  rea^)  the  dam- 
nation of  hell,  if  he  does  not  give  up  his  sins . 
\  22.  Some  professors  of  reUgion,  when  they  attempt  to  con-' 
verse  with  awakened  sinners,  are  very  fond  of  saving,  "I 
will  tell  you  my  expciience."  This  is  a  dangerous  snare,  and 
often  gives  the  devil  a  handle  to  lead  him  to  hell,  by  trjdng  to 
copy  yom' experieiice.  If  you  toll  it  to  him,  and  he  thinks  it 
is  a  Christian  experience,  he  will  almost  infallibly  be  tiying 
to  imitate  it,  and  instead  of  followuig  the  Gospel,  or  the 
leachngs  of  the  Sjjdrit  in  his  own  soul,  he  is  following  your 
•example.  This  is  absurd  as  well  as  dangerous.  He  never 
will  have  just  such  feelings  as  you  had.  No  two  persons 
Were  ever -exercised  just  alike.  Mcji's  exj^erienccs  are  as  much 
unlike  as  their  countenances.  Such  a  course  is  very  likely  to 
mislead  him.  The  design  is,  often,  nothing  but  to  encour- 
ftge  him,  at  the  vciy  point  whcro  lio  ou^lit  nut  to  bs  encoux** 


330  ^PALSE  COMFORTS   FOR  SINNERS. 

age(i,  hfore  he  has  submitted  to  God.     And  it  is  calculaWd 
to  impede  the  work  of  God  in  his  soul. 

23.  How  many  times  will  people  "tell  an  awakened  sinner 
that  God  has  begun  a  good  work  in  him,  and  lie  will  carry  it 
OQ.  I  have  known  parents  talk  so  with  then-  children,  and  as 
soon  as  they  saw  their  children  awakened,  give  up  all  former 
anxiety  about  them,  and  settle  down  at  their  ease,  tliiiildng 
that  now  God  had  begun  a  good  work  in  their  childi-en,.  he. 
would  carry  it  on.  It  would  be  just  as  rational  for  a  farmei 
to  say  so  about  his  grain,  and  as  soon  as  it  comes  up  out  of 
the  groimd,  say,  *'  Well,  God  has  begun  a  good  work  in  my 
field,  and  he  will  carry  it  on."  What  would  b,e  tliought  of  a 
farmer  who  should  neglect  to  put  up  his  fence,''because  God 
had  begun  the  work  of  giving  him  a  crop  of  gram  ?  If  you 
tell  a  sinner  so,  and  he  believes  you,  it  will  certamly  be  his 
destruction,  for  it  will  prevent  Lis  doing  that  which  is  abso- 
lutely indispensable  to  his  being  saved.  If,  as  soon  as  the 
sinner  is  awakened,  he  is  taught  that  now  God  has  begun  a 
good  work,  that  only  needs  to  be  earned  on,  and  that  God 
will  surely  carry  it  on,  he  sees  that  he  has  no  further  occa- 
sion to  be  anxiouB,  for,  in  fact,  he  has  notliing  mure  to  do. 
And  so  he  will  be  relieved  from  that  intolemble  pressure  of 
present  obligation,  to  repent  and  submit  to  God.  And  if  he 
is  relieved  from  his  sense  of  obligation  to  do  it,  he  vv^ill  never  do  it 

24.  Some  will  tell  the  sinner,  "  Well,  you  have  broken  off 
your  sins,  have  you?"  "Oh,  yes,"  says  tiie  smner.  When 
it  is  all  false,  he  has  never  forsaken  his  sins  for  a  moment,  he 
has  only  exchanged  one  form  of  sin  for  another  ;  only  placed 
himself  in  a  new  attitude  of  resistance.  And  to  tell  him,  ho 
has  broken  them  off,  is  to  give  him  false  comfort. 

25.  Sometunes^this  du'ection  is  given  for  the  purpose  of  re- 
lieving the  agony  of  an  anxious  smner,  "Do  what  you  can, 
and  God  will  do  the  rest,"  or  "  Do  what  you  can,  and  God 
will  help  you."  This  is  the  "same  as  telling  a  sinner,  "You 
cannot  do  what  God  requires  you  to"  do,  but  if  ypu  will  do 
what  you  can,  God  will  help  you,  as  to  the  rest."  Now  sin- 
nei-s  often  get  the  idea  that  they  have  done  all  they  can,  when, 
in  fact,  they  have  done  nothmg  at  all,  only  resisted  God 
with  all  their  might.  I  have^  often  heard  thejn  ^ay,  "  I  have 
done  all  I  can,  and  I  get  no  rehef,  what  can  1  do  more?" 
Now,  ;^o\i  can  see  how  comforting  it  must  be  to  such  a  one  to 
have  a  professor  of  religion  come  in  and  say,  "  If  you  will  do 
what  you  can,  God  will  help  you."  It  reheves  all  his  keen 
distress  at  once.  He  may  be  ujueasy;  and  unhappy,  but  his 
a^onyispjone,^  ~  "  ~'  -^-     • 


FAL8B  COMFORTS   KOR  SINNERS.  337 

J  26.  A^in  they  say,  "You  flhouldbe  thankful  for  what  yoa 
have,  and  hope  for  •more."  If  tho  Binner  is  convicted,  thdy 
lell  him  he  should  bo  thankful  for  conviction,  and  li(3|)c  for 
converaioa.  If  lie  has  any  feeling,  he  should  be  t.hankl'ul  for 
what  feehng  ho  has,  just  as  if  his  feoliuf,^  was  reljfpous  feeling, 
>vhen  ho  has  no  more  religion,  thali  Satan.  Ho  has  reason 
to  bo  thankful,  indeed  ;  thankful  that  ho  is  out  of  hell,  and 
thoakfui  that  God  is  yet  waiting  on  him.  But  it  is  ridiculous 
fcb  tell  him  ho  should  bo  thanWid  la  regard  to  the  state  of  his 
mind,  when  ho  is  aU  tho  while  resisting  his  Maker  with  all  his 
might 


ERRORS  IN  PRA7IN0  FOR  SINNEEa 

I  will  hero  mention  a  few  errors  in  praying  for  sinners  in 
their,  presence,  by  which  an  Xinhappy  impression  is  made  on 
their  nxind^  in  oonsequenco  of  which,  they  often  Dbtain  false 
comfort. in  their  distress. 

1.  People  sometimes  pray  for  sinners,  as  if  they  deserved 
TO  BE  PITIED  more  than  blamed.  They  pray  for  them  a.s 
MODRNERS.  "  Lord  hplp  these  [tensive  mourners,"  as  if  thoy 
were  just  mom*ning,  like  one  that  had  lost  a  friend,  or  met 
Bomo  other  calamity,  and  they  could  not  help  it,  and  vi/ero 
very  sorry  for  it,  but  death  would  come,  and  so  they  were 
gi-eatly  to  bo  pitied,  as  they  were  sitting  there,  sad,  pensive, 
and  sighing.  The  Bible  never  talks  so.  It  pities  .sinnei-s. 
but  it  pities  them  as  mad  and  guilty  rebels,  guilty,  and  do- 
serving  to  go  to  hell,  not  as  poor  pensive  mourners,  that  can- 
not help  it,  that  want  to  bo  reheved,  but  can  do  nothing  but 
sit  and  mourii- 

2.  Prating  for  them  as  poor  sinners.  Does  the  Bible  ever 
USG  any  such  language  as  this  ?  The  Bible  never  8peak3  of 
them  as  "  poor  smners,"  as  if  they  deserved  to  be  pitied  moi-o 
thqm- blamed.  Christ  pities  sinners  in  his  heart.  And  so  does 
God  pity  them.  He  feels  in  Ins  heart,  all  tho  gushings  of 
compassion  for  them,  when  he  sees  them  going  on,  obstiimto 
and  wilfid  in  gratifying  their  own  lusts,  at  tho  peril  of  hia 
eternal  wrath.  But  he  never  lets  an  expression  escape  from' 
him,  as  if  the  sinner  was  just  a  "  poor  creature"  to  be  pitied, 
as  if  he  could  not  help  ii.  T  lo  idea  that  he  is  poor^  rather 
than  wicked,  unfortunate,  mther  than  guilty,  reheves  the  sm-- 
ner  creatly.  I  have  seen  the  sinner  wi-ithe  with  agony  under 
the  .truth,  m  a  meeting,  until  somebody  begun  to  pray  for 
liim  as  a  poor  creature.  And  then  he  would  gusU  out  iiit6' 
toar%  and  weep  profusely,  and  think  lie  was  greatly  benciitod 


'ZBS  FALSE  COMFORTS  FOR   SINNERS. 

by  sucb  a  prayer.  "  Oh,  wliat  a  good  prayer  that  was.  If 
you  go  now  and  converse  with  that  sinner,  you  will  find  lie  is 
pitting  himself  as  a  poor  unfortunate  creature,  perhaps  weep- 
ing over  his  unhappy  condition,  but  his  co>rvicTiO}?s  of  sin,  his 
deep  impressions  of  a\\'ful  guilt,  ai'e  all  ^one. 

3.  Praying  that  God  would  help  Ihe* sinner  to  repeiil.  "O 
Lord,  enable  this  poor  siinier  to  repent  nowy  This  conveya 
the  idea  to  the  sinner's  mind,  that  he  is  now  trying  with  all 
his  might  to  repent^  and  that  he  cannot  do  it,  and  therefore 
Christians  are  calhug  on  God  to  help  him,  and  enable  htm  to 
do  it.  Most  professors  of  rehgion  pray  for  sinners,  not  that 
God  would  make  them  welling  to  repent,  but  that  he  would 
ENABLE,  them,  or  make  them  able.  No  wonder  then-  prayers 
are  not  heard.  They  relieve  the  sinner  of  his  sense  of  re- 
sponsibihty,  and  that  reheves  his  distress.  But  it  is  an  insult 
to  God,  as  if  God  had  commanded  a  sinner  to  -do  what  ha 
could  not  do. 

4.  People  sometimes  pray  :  "Lord,  these  sinners  are  seeh- 
ing  thedy  sorrowing."  This  language  is  an  allusion  to  what 
took  place  at  the  time  when  Jesus  was  a  httle  boy,  and  went 
into  the  temple  to  talk  with  the  rabbis  and  doctors  His 
parents,  you  recollect,  went  a  day's  jom^ney  towards  home, 
before  they  missed  hdm,  and  then  they  tiurned  back,  and  after 
looking  all  around,  they  found  the  httle  Jesus  standing  in  the 
temple  and  disputing  with  the  learned  men,  and  his  mother 
said  to  him,  "  Son,  why  has  thou  thus  dealt  witii  us  ?  behold, 
thy  father  and  I  have  sought  thee  sorrowing"  And  so  this 
prayer  represents  sinners  as  seeking  Jesus,  and  he  hides  him- 
self from  them,  and  they  look  all  around,  and  hunt,  and  try 
to  find  him,  and  wonder  where  Jesus  is,  and  say,  "  Lord,  we 
have  sought  Jesus  these  three  days  sorrowing."  It  is  a  LIE'. 
No  siuner  ever  sought  Jesus  with  all  his  heart  three  days,  or 
three  miuutes,  and  could  not  find  him.  There  Jesus  stands 
at  his  door  and  knocks,  there  he  is  i*ight  before  him'  pleadmg 
with  him,  ajid  facing  him  down  with  all  his  false  pretences. 
Seeking  him !  The  sinner  may  whine  and  cry,  "  Oh,  how  I 
am  son-owing,  and  seeking  Jesus"  It  is  no  such  thing  ; 
Jesus  is  Beefing  you.  And  yet  how  many  oppressed  con- 
sciences are  relieved  and  contorted  by  hearing  one  of  theso 
prayers. 

5.  "  Lord,  have  mercy  on  there  sinners,  who  are  seeking  (hy 
love  to  know."  This  is  a  favorite  expression  with  many,  as  if 
sinners  were  seeking  to  know  the  ]cve  of  Christ,  and  could 
not.  No  such  thing.  They  are  not  seeking  the  love  of 
Christ,  but  seekbig  to  get  to  heaven  withoat  Jpsus  ClnisU 


TPXrsE  ctJSiraKTs  fob  sinnees*  339 

Stist  fis  if  they  were  sccldng  it,  and  Be  was  s6  liard-bcartcd 
that  he  woidd  not  let  them  iiavo  it. 

G.  "Lord,  liavc  mercy  on  these  pemfoit  souls;"  calling 
anxious  sinners  penitent  souls.  If  they  are  penitent,  they 
are  Chiistiuns.  To  make  an  impression  on  an  unconverted 
sinner  that  he  is  j^enitent,  is  to  make  him  believe  a  lie.  But 
it  is  very  comforting  to  the  sinner,  and  he  likes  to  take  it  up^ 
and  pray  it  over  again,  "  O  Lord,  I  am  a  poor  penitent  soul, 
I  am  very  penitent,  I  am  so  distressed,  Lord  have  mercy  on 
a  poor  pemtent."    Dreadful  delusion ! 

7.  Sometimes  people  pray  for  anxious  sinners  as"M?/iWe 
'eowZs.  "O  Lord,  these  sinnei-s  have  humbled  themselves." 
Why,  that  is  not  true,  they  have  not  humbled  themselves  ;  if 
they  had,  the  Lord  would  have  raised  them  up  and  comforted 
them,  as  he  has  promised.  There  is  a  hynm  of  this  character, 
•that  has  done  great  mischief.     It  begins, 

"Como  HTTMULE  Sinner  in  whose  breast 
A  thousand  thoughts  revolve." 

This  hymn  was  once  givon  by  a  minister  to  ah  awakened  sin- 
ner, as  one  apphcable  to  his  case.  ■  He  began  tOsj'ead,  "Oome 
humble  sinner."  He  stopped^  "Humble  sinner,  that  is  not 
applicable  to  me,  I  am  not  a  humble  sinner."  Ah,  liovv  well 
was  it  for  him  that  the  Holy  Ghost  had  taught  liim  better 
tlian  the  hymn.  If  the  liymn  had  said,  Come  anxious  sinner, 
or  guilti/  sinner,  or  trembling  sinner,  it  would  have  been  well 
enough,  but  to  call  him  a  humble  sinner  would  not  do.  There 
•are  a  vast  many  hjnnns  of  the  same  cliaracter.  It  is  veiy 
common  to  find  smners  quoting  the  false  sentiments  of  some 
hymn,  to  excuse  themselves  in  rebellion  against  God. 

A  mmistcr  told  me  he  heard  a  prayer,  quite  lately,  in  these 
words,  "O  Lord,  these  sinners  have  humbled  tliemselvcs,  and 
come  to  thee  as  well  as  they  know  how.  If  they  knew  any 
better,  they  would  do  better,  but  O  (jord,  as  they  have  come 
to  thee,  in  the  best  manner  they  can,  we  pray  thee  accept 
them  and  shew  mercy."    Honible  ! 

8.  Many  pray,  "  Father,  forgive  them,  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  This  is  the  prayer  which  Christ  made  for  his  mur- 
derers. And,  in  that  case,  it  was  true,  thoy  did  not  know 
what  they  were  doing,  for  they  did  not  believe  that  Jesus 
Chi'ist  was  the  Messiah..  But  it  cannot  be  said  of  sinnei-s 
under  the  Gospel,  they  do  not  know  what  they  are  doinn-. 
They  do  know  what  they  are  doing.  They  do  not  sec  tlie  fulj 
extent  of  it,  but  they  do  know  that  they  arc  sinning  against 
God,  and  rejcctiog  Christi  wd  the  ditiiculty  is,  that  Ui^  are 


340'  FALSE   COMFORTS   FOR   SINNERS. 

gnwHTing  to  submit  to  God. .  Bat  such  a  prayer  is  calculated 
to  make  liim  feel  relieved,  and  make  him  say,  "  Lord,  how  can 
"you  blame  rae  so,  I  am  a  poor  iguorant  creature,  I  do  not 
know  Jiow  to  do  what  is  re^iuircd  of  me.-  If  I  knew  how,  I 
would  do  it" 

9.  Another  expression  is,  "  Lord,  direct  these  sinners,  who 
are  mquiriug  the  way  to  Zion,  with  their  faces  tliitherward." 
But  this  language  is  only  applicable  to  Christians.  Smnera 
have  not  their  faces  towards  Zion,  their  faces  are  set  toward 
hell  And  how  can  a  sinner  be  said  to  be  "  mquiring  the  way'* 
to  Zion,  when  he  has  no  disposition  to  go  there.  The  reai 
difficulty  IS,  that  he  is  unwilling  to  WALK  in  the  way  in 
which  he  knows  he  ought  to  go. 

10.  People  pray  that  sinners  may  have  more  conviction.  Or, 
they  pray  that  sinners  ind^y  go  fiome  xolenm  and  tender,  and 
take  the  subject  into  consideration,  instead  of  praying  that 
they  may  repent  now.  Or,  they  pray  as  if  they  supposed  the 
sinner  was  wiUin'j  to  do  what  is  required.  All  such  prayers, 
are  just  such  prayers  as  the  devU  wants.  He  wishes  to  have 
such  prayers,  and  I  dare  say  he  does  not  care  how  many  such 
are  ol'fered. 

Sometimes  I  have  seen  lu  an  anxious  meeting,  or  when  sin- 
ners have  been  called  to  the  anxious  scats,  and  the  minister  has 
made  the  way  of  salvation  all  plain  to  them,  and  taken  away 
ail  the  stumbhng  blocks  out  of  their  path,  and  removed  tho 
darkness  of  their  minds  on  the  several  points,  and  when  they 
are  just  ^eady  to  yield,  some  one  wiH  "be  called  on  to  pray, 
and  instead  of 'praying  that  they  may  repeat  luno,  he  begins 
to  pray,  "■  O  Lord,  we  pray,  that  these  sinners  may  be  solemn, 
.that  they  may  have  a  deep  sense  of  their  sinfulness,  that  they 
may  go  home  impressed  with  their  lost  condition,  that  they 
may  attempt  nothing  in  their  own  strcng-th,  that  they  may  not 
lose  their  convictions,  and  that,  in  thine  own  time  and  xyay, 
they  may  be  brought  cnit  into  the  glorious  light  and  liberty  of 
Jthe  sons  of  God." 

Instead  of  bringing  them  right  up-to  the  point  of  niMiiiDiATE 
submission,  on  the  spot,  it  gives  them  time  to  breathe,  it  lets 
ofif  all  the  pressure  of  conviction,  and  he  breathes  freely  again 
and  feels  relieved,  and  sits  down  at  his  ease.  Thus,  when  tho 
sinner  is  brought  up,  as  it  were,  and  stands  at  the  gate  of 
Qeaven,  such  a  prayer,  instead  of  pushing  him  in,  sets  hira 
away  back  agam, — "  There,  poor  thing,  sit  there  till  God  helps 
you." 

11.  Christians  somft times  pray  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make 
the  imuression  that  Christ  is  the  sinner's  friend,  in  a  differ* 


FALSE   COMFORT   FOR  STSy ER8.  34* 

ent  sense  from  what  God  the  Father  is.  •  They  pray  to  him, 
•*0h,  thou  friend  of  siniicrs,"  as  if  God  was  full  of  wrath,  and 
storn  vengeance,  just  going  to  crush  the  poor  wretch,  till  Jesus 
Clu*ist  comtis  in  and  takes  Iiis  part,  and  dehvers  him.  Now 
this  IS  all  wrong.  The  Father  and  the  Son  are  perfc(jtly 
agreed,  tbeii'  feelings  are  all  the  same,  and  both  are  equally 
djsppsed  to  Tiavo  sinners  saved.  And  to  make  such  an  im- 
pression, deceives  the  sinner,  and  leads  to  wrong  feelings  to- 
wards God-  To  represent  God  the  Father  as  standing  over 
hiiu,  with  the  sword  of  justice  in  his  hand,  eager  to  strike  the 
blow,  till  Christ  interposes,  is  not  true.  The  Father  is  as 
much  the  sinner's  friend  as  the  Son.  His  compassion  is  equaL 
But  if  the  sinner  gets  tliis  unfavorable  idea  of  God  the  Father, 
how  is  he  ever  to  love  him  with  all  his  heart,  so  as  to  say, 
"Abba,  Father.'' 

12.  The  impression  is  often  made  by  the  manner  of  praying, 
that  you  do  not  expect  sinners  to  repent  iiow,  or  that  you  ex- 
pect God  to  do  TtTEiB  duty,  or  that  you  wish  to  encourage 
t)iem  to  trust  in  your  prayers:  And  eo,  sinners  are  ruined. 
Never  pray  so  as  to  make  the  impression  on  sinners,  that  yo\i 
fiecretly  hoj)e  they  are  Cliristians  ah-eady,  or  that  you  feol  a 
fetrong  contidence  they  will  be,  by  and  by,  or.  that  you  half 
believe  they  are  converted  now.  This  is  always  unhappy. 
Multitudes  are  deceived  with  false  comfort,  in  this  way,  and 
prevented,  just  at  the  critical  point,  from  making  the  final  sur- 
render of  themselves  to  God. 

Brethren,  I  find  this  field  so  broad  that  I  cannot  possibly 
mention  all  I  wished  to  say.  There  are  many  other  things 
that  1  intended  to  touch  upon  this  evening,  but  the  tiuae  is 
too  far  spent    I  must  dose  with  a  few  brief ' 

REMARKS. 

L  Many  persons  who  deal  in  this  way  with  anxious  annera,^ 
do  it  from  fal>e  pity.  They  feel  so  much  sj-mpathy  and  com* 
passion  that  they  cannot  bear  to  tell  them  the  truth,  which  is 
necessary  to  save  them.  As  well  might  a  surgeon,  when  be 
sees  that  a  man's  arm  must  be  amputated,  or  he  will  die,  in- 
dulge this  feeling  of  false  pity,  and  just  put  on  a  pkister,  and 
give  him  an  opiate.  There-  is  no  benevolence  in  tliat.  True 
benevolence  would  lead  the  sm-geon  to  hide  his  feehngs,  and 
to  be  cool  and  calm,  and  with  a  keen  knife,  cut  the  Jimb  oS, 
and  save  the  hfe.  It  is  false  tenderness  to  do  au^lhing  short 
of  that  I  once  saw  a  woman  under  distress  of  mind,  who 
bad  been  well  nigh  «hivea  to  dcspaii*  for  months.  Her  friends 


342  FALSE   COMFORTS   FOR   SINKKES. 

had  tried  all  these  false  comforts  wifchont  effect,  and  they 
brouglit  her  to  see  a  minister.  She  was  emaciated,  and  worn 
out  with  agony.  The  minister  set  his  eye  npon  her,  and  poured 
in  the  trath  upon  her  mind,  and  rebuked  her  in  a  most  point- 
ed manner.  The  woman  who  was  with  her  interfered,  she 
thought  it  cruel,  and  said,  "Oh,  do  comfort  her,  she  is  so  dis- 
tressed, do  not  trouble  her  any  more,  she  cannot  bear  it."  He 
tuinied,  and  rebuked  her^  ^nd  sent  her  away,  and  liien  poured 
in  the  truth  upon  the  anxious  sinner  hke  fire,  and  in  five 
minutes  she  was  converted,  and  went  home  full  of  joy.  The 
plain  tmth  swept  .all  her  fiilse  notions  away,  and  in  a  few  mo 
ments  she  was  joyful  in  God. 

2.  This  treatment  of  anxious  sinners,  administering  their 
false  comfort,  is,  in  facly  tmeltij.  JX  is  cruel  as  the  grave,  as 
cruel  as  hell,  for  it  is  calculated  to  send  the  sinner  down  to 
its  bui'umg  abyss.  Christians  feel  compassion  for  the  anxious,' 
and  so  they  ought.  But  the  last  thing  they  ought  to  do,  is  to 
flmch  just  at  the  point  where  it  comes  to  a  crisis.  They  should 
feel  compassion,  but  they  shoiUd  show  it  just  as  the  surgeon 
does,  when  he  dehberately  goes  to  work,  in  the  right  and  best 
way,  and  cuts  off  the  man's  arm,  and  thus  cures  him  and 
saves  his  life.  Just  so  Christians  should  let  the  shiner  see 
their  compassion  and  tenderness,  but  they  should  take  God*8 
part,  fully  and  decidedly.  They  should  lay  open  to  the  sinner, 
the  worst  of  his  case,  expose  his  guilt  and  danger,  and  then, 
lead  him  right  up  to  the  cix)ss,  and  insist  on  instant  submis- 
sion. They  must  have  fiinnness  enough  to  do  tliis  work  thCM> 
oughly,  and  if  they  feee  the  sinner,  distressed  and  in  agony,  | 
still  they  must  press  him  right  on,  and  not  give  way  in  the 
least,  however. much  he  tnay  be  in  agon^,  but  still  preps  on 
till  he  yield. 

To  do  this  often  requires  nerva  I  have  'often  been  placed 
in  cu'curnstances,  to  know  this  by  experience.  I  have  found 
myself  surroimded  by  anxious  sinners,  in  such  distress,  as  to 
make  every  nerve  tremble,  some  overcome  with  emotion  and 
lying  on  the- floor,  some  applying  camphor  to  prevent  tlieir 
fainting,  others  shrieking  out  as  if  they  were  just  going  to  hell. 
Now,  suppose  any  one  should  give  false  comfort  in  such  a  ca^e 
as  this.  Suppose  he  had  not  nerve  enough  to  bring  thein\ 
right  up  to  the  point  of  instant  and  absolute  submisaicHL 
How  luifit  is.  such  a  man  to  be  trasted  in  a  case  hke  this. 

3.  Sometimes  sinners  become  deranged  through  despair 
and  anguish  of  mind.  Where  this  is  the -case,  it  is  almost 
always  because  those  who  deal  with  them  try  to  encourage 
them  with  false  comfort,  and  thus  lead  them  to  sadx  a  coo* 


PAJLSE    COMFORTS    FOR   SINNERS.'  849 

flick  with  th6  Holy  Ghost.  They  try  to  hold  them  up,  while 
God  is  tryinj  to  break  tliem  down.  And  by  and  by,  the  sin- 
ner's mind  gets  confused  with  this  contrariety  of  influences, 
and  J^e  either  goes  deranged,  or  is  diivon  to  despair. 
'  4.  [f  you  are  going  to  deal  with  sinners,  remember  that  yon 
are  soon  to  meet  them  in  judgment,  and  be  sure  to  treat  them  \^' 
in  such  a  way  that  if  they  are  lost,  it  will  be  tlieir  own  fault 
Do  not  tiy  to  comfort  them  with  false  notions  now,  and  have 
them  reproach  you  with  it  then.  Better  suppress  your  false 
sympathy,  and  let  the  naked  truth  cleave  them  asunder,  joints 
and  marrow,  than  to  sooth  them  with  false  comfort,  and  be- 
guile them  away  from  God. 

4.  Siimer'  if  you  converse  with  any  Christians,  and  they 
tell  you  to  do  anythmg,  tu'st  ask,  "If  I  do  ihdt^  shall  I  be 
saved  ?  "  You  may  be  anxious  and  not  be  saved.  You  may 
pray,  and  not  be  saved.  You  may  read  your  Bible,  and  not 
be  saved.  You  may  use  means,  in  your  way,  and  not  be 
savecL  WTiatever  they  tell  you  to  do,  if  you  can  do  it  and  not 
be  saved,  do  not  attend  to  such  instructions.  They  are  cal- 
culated to  give  you  false  comfort,  and  divert  your  attention 
from  tlie  mam  thing  to  be  done,  and  begiule  you  dPNvn  to  hell. 
Do  not  follow  any  such  directions,  lest  you  should  die  while 
doing  it,  and  then  there  is  no  retrieve. 

Fmally,  never  tell  a  smner  anytlung,  or  give  him  any  dii-ec- 
tion,  that  will  lead  him  to  stop  short,  or  that  does  not  include 
absolute  submission  to  God.  To  let  him  stop  at  any  pomt 
shoiii  of  this,  is  infinitely  dangerous.  Suppose  you  are  at  an 
anxious  meeting,  or  a  prayer  raeetmg,  and  tell  a  sinner  to 
pray,  or  to  read  a  hook,  or  anythmg  sliort  of  savmg  repent- 
ance, and  he  should  fall  arid  break  his  neck  that  night,  of 
whom  would  his  blood  be  required?  A  youth  in  New  Eng- 
land once  met  a  minister  in  the  street,  and  asked  hun  what 
he  should  do  to  be  saved.  The  mmister  told  him  to  ^o  home 
and  go  into  Ins  chamber,  and  kneel  down  and  give  his  heart 
to  God.  "  Oh,  sir,"  said  the  boy,  "  I  feel  so  bad,  I  am  afraid 
I  shall  not  hve  to  get  home."  The  mmister  saw  his  en-or, 
and  felt  the  rebuke,  thus  unconsciously  givbn  by  a  child,  and 
he  told  him,  "  Well,  then,  give  your  heart  to  God  here,  and 
go  home  to  your  chamber  and  tell  him  of  it." 

Oh,  it  is  enough  to  make  one's  heart  bleed,  to  see  so  many 
miserable  comforters  for  anxious  sinners,  in  whose  answcra 
there  reraanieth  falsehood-  WTiat  a  vast  amount  of  spuitu'al 
quackery  tliere  is  in  this  world,  and  how  many  "forgers  of 
lies"  there  are,  "  physicians  of  no  value,"  who  know  no  better 
than  to  comfort  sinners  with  false  hopes,  and  delude  theru 


844  /FALSE   COMFOKTS    FO&  SII7NEB& 

with  their  "old  mves*  fables>  and  nonsense,  or  who  give  way 
to  false  tenderness  and  sympathy,  till  they  have  not  firmness 
enough  to  see  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  appHed,  to  cut  men  to 
the  soul,  and  lay  open  the  sinnar's  naked  heart.  Alas  1  that 
so  many  are  ever  put  into  the  ministry,  who  have  not  skill 
enough  to  stand  by  and  see  the  Spirit  of  God  do  its  work,  in 
breaking  up  the  old  foundations,  and  cnishmg  all  the  rotton 
hopes  of  a  sinner,  and  breaking  hka  aQ  down  at  the  feet 
of  Jesua 


LECTURE   XVIir 

V  DIEECJIONS  TO  SINNEEa.  ■ 

TliT— What  phall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?— Acts  xtl  30l 

These  are  the  woixls  of  the  jailor  at  Philippi,  the  question 
wliich  lie  put  to  Paul  and  Silas,  who  were  then  under  hiscaro 
as  pn.soncrs.  Satan  had,  in  many  ways,  op]:)osed  tlicse  ser- 
vants of  God  in  their  work  of  preacliing  the  Gospel,  and  had 
been  as  often  .defeated  and  disgraced.  But  hen;,  at  Piiilippi, 
he  devised  a  new  and  peculiar,  project  for  frust^-ating  their 
labors.  There  was  a  certain  woman  at  Phili|5[)i,  who  wag  i3os» 
sessed  with  a  spirit  of  divination,  or  hi  other  words,  the  spirit 
of  the  devil,  and  brought  her  masters  much  gain  by  hor  sooth- 
saying. Tlie  de\il  set  this  woman  to  follow  Paul  and  Silas 
about  tlie  streets,  and  as  soon  as  they  had  begun  to  gain  the 
attention  of  the  people,  she  would  come  in  and  cry,  "These 
men  are  the  servants  of  the  most  liigli  God,  which  sh6w  unto  ug 
the  way  of  salvation."*  That  is,  she  undertook  to  second  the 
exhoiiations  of  the  preachers,  and  added  her  testimony,  as  if 
to  give  additional  weight  to  their  instructions.  The  ellect  of 
it  was  just  what  Satan  desired.  The  people  all  knew  that 
tliis  was  a  wicked,  base  woman,  and  when  they  heard  her  at» 
tempting  to  recommend  this  new  preaching,  tliey  were  dis- 
gusted, and  concluded  it  was  all  of  a  piece.  The  devil  knew 
that  it  would  not  do  him  any  good,  but  would  help  their 
cause,  to  set  such  a  person  to  oppose  the  preaching  of  the 
apostles,  or  to  speak  against  it  The  time  had  gone  by,  for 
that  to  succeed.  And,  tliercforo,  Ae  comes  round  the  other 
way,  and  takes  the  opposite  ground,  and  by  setting  her  to 
praise  them  as  the  servants  of  God,  and  to  bear  lier  polluted 
testimony  in  favor  of  their  instructions,  he  led  people  to  sup- 
Ijose  the  apostles  were  of  the  same  character  with  her,  and 
had  the  same  spirit  that  slie  had,  and  thus  all  their  cifoi-ta 
were  defeated.  Paul  saw  that  if  things  went  on  so,  he  should 
be  totally  ballled,  and  never  succeed  in  establishing  a  chui'ch 
at  Philippi  And  he  turns  round  to  her,  aud  commands  the 
foul  spirit^  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  come  out  of  her. 
^When  her  masters  saw  that  the  hope  of  th^ir  gaicjs  was  gone.. 
15*  (Z^ 


3f6  DIKKCTI0N8  TO  SIimERS. 

ihey  raised  a  great  persecufion,  and  caught  Paul  and  Silas, 
and  made  a  great  ado,  and  "brought  them  before  the  magis- 
trates, and  raised  such  a  clamor  that  the  magistrates  shut 
them  up  m  prison,  and  made  their  feet  fast  in  the  stocks. 

Thus,  thej  thought  thej  had  put  down  the  excitement.  But 
at  midnight  Paul  and  Silas  prayed  and  sang  praises,  and  the 
prisoners  heard  them.  This  old  prison  that  had  so  long 
echoed  to  the  voice  of  blasphemy  and  oaths,  now  resounded 
with  the  praises  of  God,  and  these  walls,  that  had  stood  so 
iBrm,  now  trembled  under  the  power  of  prayer.  The  stocks 
were  unloosed,  the  gates  thrown  open,  and  every  one's  band^ 
broken.  The  jailor  was  aroused  from  his  sleep,  and  when  he 
saw  the  prison  doors  opened,  as  be  knew  that  if  the  prison- 
ers liad  escaped  he  must  pay  for  it  with  his  life,  he  drew  his 
sword,  and  was  about  to  kiil  himself.  But  Paul,  who  had  no 
notion  ol  escaping  clandestinely,  cried  out  to  him  instantly, 
,•*  Do  thyself  no  harm,  for  we  are  all  here."  And  the  Jailor 
icalled  for  a  light,  and  sprang  in,  and  came  trembling,  and 
fell  down  before  his  prisoners,  Paul  and  Silas,  and  brought 
them  out,  and  said,  "  Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?" 

In  my  last  lecture,  I  dwelt  at  some  length  on  the  false  in- 
structions given  to  sinners  under  conviction,  and  the  false 
cDmforts  too  often  admmistered,  and  the  erroneous  instruc-- 
tions  which  such  persons  receive.  It  is  my  desLgii,  to-mght, 
to  show  what  are  the  instructions  that  should  be  given  to  anx- 
ious sinners  in  order  to  their  speedy  and  effectual  conver- 
sion. Or,  in  other  words,  to  explain  to  you,  what  answer 
should  be  given  to  those  who  make  the  inquiry,  "  What  must 
I  do  to  be  saved  ?"    In  doing  it,  I  propose, 

L  To  show  what  is  not  a  proper  direction  to  be  given  to  sin- 
ners, when  they  make  the  inquiry  in  the  text. 
'    IL  Show  what  is  a  proper  answer  to  the  inquiry.     And, 

in.  To  specify  .several  errors,  which  anxious  sinners  are  apt 
to  faU  into. 

!  L  I  am  to  show  what  are  not  proper  directions  to  be  given 
to  anxious  sinners. 

No  more  important  inquiry  was  ever  made-than  this,  *'  What 
must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?"  Mankind  are  apt  enough  to  inquire 
"  What  shall!  eat,  and  what  shall  I  di'ink,"  and  the  question 
may  be  answered  in  various  ways,  with  little  danger.  But 
when  a  sinner  asks  in  earnest,  "  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 
it  IS  of  infinite  importance  that  he  should  receive  the  right 
answer.  It  is  my  desire,  to-mght,  to  tell  you,  professors  of 
rehgion,  what  to  answer  tp  this  inqmry,  and  to  tell  you,  who 
are  sinners,  what  you  must  do  to  be  saved 


DIRECTIONS  vTO   BRfNEES.  S47 

1.  No  direction  should  be  given  to  a  sinner,  tnat  will  leave 
kim.s(ill  in  Me  qu/I  of  billemess  and  the  bond^  of  iniquity, 
^o  ansTver  is  proper  to  be  given,  with  which,  if  he  com- 
plies, he  would  not  go  to  heaven,  if  he  should  die  the  next 
moment. ' 

2.  No  direction  should  "be  given,  that  does  not  include  a 
change  of  heart,  or  a  right  heart,  or  hearty  obedience  to 
Christ  In  other  words,  nothing  is  proper,  which  does  not 
imply  actually  becoming  a  Christian.  Any  direction  that 
falls  short  of  this,  is  of  no  use.  It  will  not  bring  him 
any  nearer  to  the  IfingdOm,  it  will  do  no  good,  but  wih  only 
lead  him  to  defev  Ciie  very  ilnnq  which  he  must  do,  in  order 
to  be  saved.  The  sioner  should  be  told  plainly,  at  once,  what 
he  must  do,  or  die  ;  and  he  should  be  told  nothing  that  does 
not  mclude  a  right  state  of  heart  Whatever  you  may  do, 
Binner,  that  does  not  include  a  rigfit  heart,  is  sin.  Whether 
you  read  the  Bible  or  no^  it  is  sin,  so  long  as  you  remain  in 
rebellion.  Whether  you  go  to  meeting,  or  stay  away,  whether 
you  pray  or  not,  it  is  nothing  but  rebellion,  every  moment 
It  is  surprising,  that*  a  sinner  should  suppose  himself  doing 
God's  services,  when  he  prays,  and  r6ads  his  Bible.  Should 
a  rebel  against  this  government,  read  the  statute  book,  while 
he  continues  in  rebellion,  and  has  no  design  to  obey  ;  should 
he  ask  for  pardon,  while  he  holds  on  to  his  weapons  of  re- 
sistance and  warfare,  would  you  think  him  doing  his  country 
a  service,  and  laymg  them  under  obhgations  to  show  him  favor? 
No,  you  would  say  that  all  his  reading  and  praying,  were  only 
an  insult  to  the  majesty  both  of  the  lawgiver  and  the  law.  So 
you,  sinner,  while  you  remain  in  impenitence,  are  insulting 
God  and  setting  him  at  defiance,  whether  you  read  his  word 
and  pray,  or  let  it  alone.  No  matter  what  place  or  what; 
attitude  your  body  is  in,  On  your  knees,  or  in  the  house  of 
God,  so  long  as  your  heart  is  not  right,  so  long  els  you  resist 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  reject  Christ,  you  are  a  rebel  against 
•your  Maker. 

n.  I  am  to  show  what  is  a  proper  answer  to  this  inquiry, 
**  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  ?" 

And,  generally,  you  may  give  the  sinner  any  direction,  or 
tell  him  to  do  anything,  that  includes  a  right  .heart,  and  if 
you  make  him  understand  it,  and  do  it,  he  will  he  saved.  The 
Spirit  of  God,  in  striving  with  sinners,  suits  his  strivings  to 
the  state  of  mind  in  which  he  finds  them.  Bis  great  object 
in  striving  with  them,  is,  to  dislodge  them  from  their  hiding- 
places,  and  bring  them  to  submit  to  God,  at  once.  Now  these 
x>bjectioQa^  and  dif&culties.  and  a^-ates  of  mind,  are  as  vario'js, 


848  DlBSCnONS  tc    sinnebs. 

as  the  circninstances  of  manMrd,  as  many  as  there  are  ihp 
divi4uals.  The  characters  of  individuals  aflford  an  endless 
diversity.  What  is  to  be  done  ^vith  each  one,  and  how  he  is 
to  be  converted,  depends  on  his  particular  errors.  It  is  iie- 
cessary  to  ascertain  his  errors,  to  fmd  out  what  he  understands, 
9,nd  what  he  needs  to  be  taught  more  perfectly,  to  see  what 
points  the  Spirit  of  God  is  pressing  upon  his  conscience, 
and  to  press  the  same  things  and  thus  bring  him  to  Christ 
The  most  common  directions  are  the  following  : 

1.  It  is  generally  in  point,  and  a  safe  and  suitable  direction 
to  telL  a  sinner  to  repent,  I  say,  generaUy.  For  sometimes 
the  Spirit  of  God  seems  not  so  much  to  direct  the  sinner's, 
attention  to  his  own  sins  as  to  some  other  thing.  In  the  days 
of  the  apostles,  the  minds  of  the  people  seem  to  have  been 
agitated  mainly  on  the  question,  whether  Jesus  was  the  true 
Messiah.  And  so  the  apostles  directed  much  of  their  instruc- 
tions to  this  point,  to  prove  that  he  was  the  Christ  And 
whenever  anxious  sinners  asked  them  what  they  must  do,^ 
they  most  commonly  exhorted  them  to  " Beheve  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Chrisf  They  bore  down  on  this  point,  because  here 
was  where  the  Spirit  of  God  was  sti'iving  with  them,  and- 
this  was  the  subject  that  especially  agitated  people's  minds,f 
and,  consequently,  this  would  probably  be  the  first  thing  a^ 
person  would  do  on  submitting  to  God.  It  was  the  grand) 
point  at  issue  between  God  and  the  Jew  and  Gentile  of  those 
days,  whether  Jesus  Christ  was  the  son  of  God.  It  was  the' 
point  in  dispute.  To  bring  a  sinner  to  yield  this  controverted' 
question,  was  the  way  the  most  effectually  to  humble  him. 

At  other  times,  it  will  be  found,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  ia[ 
dealing  with  sinners,  chiefly  in  reference  to  their  own  sios. 
Sometimes  he  dealsjvith  thejn  in  regard  to  a  particular  duty, 
as  prayer,  perhaps  family  prayer.  The  sinner  wlQ  be  found 
to  be  contesting  that  point  with  Gt)d,  whether  it  is  right  for 
him  to  pray,  or  whether  he  ought  to  pray  in  his  family.  I 
have  known  striking  cases  of  this  kin(^  where  the  individual 
was  struggliog  on  this  point,  and  as  soon  as  he  feU  on  his 
knees  to  pray,  he  yielded  his  heart,  showing  that  this  was  the 
very  point  which  the  Spirit  of  God  was  contesting,  and  the 
hinge  on  which  his  controversy  with  God  all  turned.  That 
was  conversion. 

The  direction  \)  repent  is  always  proper,  but  will  not  al- 
ways be  effectual,  for  there  may  be  some  other  thing  that  the 
simier  needs  to  be  told  also.  And  where  it  is  the  pertinent 
direction,  sinners  need  not  only  to  be  told  to  repent,  but  to 
have  it  explained  to  them  what  repentance  is.    Since  there 


DTRKCTIONS  TO   SINMKRS.  349 

has  bcGD  so  much  mysticism,  and  false  pliilosophy  and  fals^ 
theology,  thrown  around  the  subject,  it  has  become  nQcessaryj 
to  tell  sinners  not  only  what  you  mean  by  repentance,  but 
also  to  tell  them  what  you  do  not  mean.  Words  that  us.ed  to 
be  plain  and  easily  .understood  have  now  become  so  perverted 
that  they  need  to  be  exi^lained  to  smners,  or  thev  will  ofteu 
convey  a  wroc^  impression  to  their  minds.  This  ls  the  ciss 
with  tlie  word  repentance.  Many  suppose  that  renmrse^  or  a 
sense  of  guilt,  is  repentance.  Then  hell  is  full  of  rej)entance, 
for  it  is  full  of  remoi^se,  unutterable  and  eternal.  Others  feel 
ft'grel  that  they  have  done  such  a  thing,  and  they  caU  that 
repenting  of  it.  But  they  only  regret  that  they  have  sinned,, 
because  of  the  consequences,  and  not  because  they  abhor  sio. 
This  is  not  re^jentauca  Others  suppose  that  convictions  of 
sin  and  strong  fears  of  hell  are  repentance.  Others  consider 
the  remonstrances  of  conscience  as  reix^ntance  ,  they  say,  "  I 
never  do  anything  wi'ong  but  that  I  repent ;  that  I  always 
feel  sorry  I  did  it"  Others  i-cgard  repentance  as  a  feeling  of 
sorrow  for  sin.  But  repentance  is  not  an  involuntary  feeling 
of  any  kind  or  degree.  Smners  must  bo  shown  that  all  these 
things  are  not  repentance.  They  are  not  only  consistent  with 
the  utmost  wickedness,  but  the  devil  might  have  them  all,  and 
doubtless  has  them  all,  and  yet  remains  a  devil.  Repentance 
is  a  change  of  mind,  as  regards  God  and  towaixl  sin  itself.  It 
is  not  only  a  change  of  views,  but  a  change  of  the  ultimate 
preference  or  choice  of  the  sOul.  It  is  a  voluntary  change, 
and  by  consequence  involves  a  change  oiffelinfj  and  of  nciK^.t 
loward  Ood  and  lowtrd  sin.  It  is  what  is  natui'ally  understood 
by  a  change  of  mind  on  any  subject  of  interest  and  impor- 
tance. We  hear  that  such  a  man  has  changed  his  mind  on 
tlie  subject  of  Abolition,  for  instance,  or  that  he  has  changed 
his  views  in  pohtics.  Everybody  undei^tands  tliat  ho  has  UU' 
dergone  a  change  in  his  views,  his  feelings,  and  his  condnri., 
Tiiis  is  repentance,  on  that  subject,  it  is  a  change-  of  mind, 
but  not  towards  God.  Evangehcal  repentance  is  a  change  of 
wniuag,  of  feeling,  and  of  life,  in  respect  to  Ood. 

Repentance  always  impUes  abhorrence  of  sin.  It  is  willing 
and  feeling  as  God  does  in  respect  to  sin.  It  of  course  in- 
volves the  love  .of  God,  and  an  abhorrence  of  sin.  It  al- 
ways implies  forsaking  sin.  Sinners  should  be  made  to  un- 
derstand this.  The  sinner  that  repents  does  not  feel  as  im- 
penitent sinners  think  they  should  feel,  at  giving  up  their 
sins  if  they  should  become  rehgious.  Impenitent  sinners 
look  upon  religion  just  like  this,  that  if  they  become  pious, 
they  shall  be  vi^liyed  to  stay  away  from  balls  and  parties,  and 


350  DIRECTIONS   TO  STNNXRB. 

obliged  to  give  up  theatres,  or  gambling,  or  other  things  that 
they  now  take  delight  in.  And  they  see  not  how  they  could 
ever  enjoy  themselves,  if  they  should  break  off  from  all  those 
tilings.  But  this  is  very  far  from  being  a  connect  view  of  the 
matter..  Kehgion  does  not  make  them  .unhappy,  by  shutting 
them  out  from  things  in  which  they  delight,  because  the  first 
step  in  it  is  to  repent,  to  change  their  mind  in  regai'd  to  all 
these  things.  They  do  not  seem  to,  realize  that  the  person 
who  has  .repented  has  no  disposition  for  those  things,  lie 
has  given  them  up,  and  turned  his  mind  sway  from  them.- 
Sinners  feel  as  if  they  should  ivarit  to  go  to  such  places,  and 
want  to  mingle  in  sucli  scenes,  just  as  much  as  they  do  now, 
and  that  it  will  be  such' a  continued  sacrifice  as  to  make  them 
unhappy     This  is  a  great  mistake. 

I  Iniow  there  are  some  professors  who  would  be  very  glad 
to  betake  themselves  to  their  former  practices,  were  it  not 
that  tliey  feel  constrainod,  by  fear  of  losing  their  character, 
or  the  hke.  Nov/,  mark  me.  If  they  feel  so,  it  is  because 
they  have  no  religion,  they  do  not  hate  sin.^  If  they  desh*e 
their  former  ways,  they  have  no  religion,  they  have  never  re- 
pented, for  repentance  always  consists  in  a  change  of  choice 
of  views  and  feelinga  If  they  were  really  converted,  instead 
of  choosing  such  things,  they  would  turn  away  from  them 
with  loathmg.  Instead  of  lusting  after  the  iiesh-pots  of 
Egypt,  and  desiring  to  go  into  their  former  ciicles,  pai-ties, 
balls,  and  the  hke,  they  find,  then-  highest  pleasure  in  obeying 
God. 

2.  Sinners  should  be  told  to  believe  the  Gospel.  Here,  also, 
they  need  to  have  it  explained  to  them,  and  to  be  told  what 
is  not  faith,  and  what  is.  Nothing  is  more  ccanmon  than  for 
a  sinner,  when  told  to  believe  the  Gospel,  to  say,  "I  do  be- 
Heve  it.'*  The  fact  is,  he  has  pben  brought  up  to  admit  the 
fact,  that  the  Gosj)el  is  true,  but  Jbe  does  not  believe  it,  he 
knows  nothing  about  the  evidence  of  it,  and  aU  his  faith  is  a 
mere  admission  without  evidence.  He  holds  it  to  be  true,  in 
a  kind  of  loose,  indefinite  sense,  so  that  he  iB  always  ready  to 
say,  "  I  do  believe  the  Bible."  It  is  strange  they  do  not  see 
that  they  are  deceived  in  thinking  that  they  beheve,  for  they 
must  see  that  they  have  never  acted  upon  these  tnaths,  as 
they  do  upon  those  things  that  they  do  believe.  ^  Yet  it  is 
often  quite  difficult  to  convince  them  that  they  do  not 
beheve. 

But  the  fact  is,  that  the  careless  sinner  does  not  belieTe 
thf?  Gospel  at  alt  The  idea  that  the  careless  sinner  is  an 
iiileUeclucU  believer  is  absurd.    The  devil  is  ao  i^iteiiectiiaj  ho 


DIRECTIONS  TO   BINNEES.  351 

'Sever,  and  that  is  what  makes  him  tremble.  What  makes  a 
fliimer  anxious  is,  that  he  begins  to  bo  an  intellectual  be- 
liever, and  that  makes  him  feel.  No  being  in  lieaven,  cailh,  or 
hell,  cau  intellectually  believe  the  truths  of  tlic  Gospel,  and 
not  feel  on  the  subject.  Tlie  anxious  sinner  has  faith  of  the 
same  kind  with  devils,  but  he  has  not  so  mucli  of  it,  and^ 
therefore,  he  does  not  feel  so  much.  Tlie  man  that  does  not 
feel  nor  act  at  all,  on  tlie  subject  of  religion  is  an  infidel,  let 
his  professions  be  what  thoy  may.  He  that  feels  nothing, 
and  does  nothing,  behevcs  nothing.  This  is  a  philosophical 
fact. 

-  Faith  does  not  consist  in  an  intellectual  conviction  that 
Clnist  died  for  3'ou  in  particular,  nor  in  a  behef  that  you  are 
a  Christian,  or  that  you  ever  shall  be,  or  that  your  sins  are 
forgiven.  But  f^iith  is  that  trust  or  confidence  ia  God,  and 
in  Clnist,  that  commits  the  whole  soul  to  him  in  all  his  rela- 
tions to  us.  It  is  a  vohnitary  trust  in  his  person,  his  veracity, 
liis  word-  This  was  the  f.iith  of  Abrahajn,  He  had  that 
confidence  in  what  God  said,  which  led  him  to  act  as  if  it  were 
true.  This  is  the  way  the  apostle  illustrates  it  in  the  eleventh 
of  Hebrews.  "Faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for, 
the  evidence  of  things  not  seen."  And  he  goes  on  to  illas- 
trate  it  by  various  examples.  "  Through  faith  we  understand 
that  the  worlds  were  made,"  that  is,  we  beheve  this,  and  act 
accordingly.  Take  the  case  of  Noah.  Noah  was  warned  of 
God  of  tilings  not  seen  as  yet,  that  is,  he  was  assured  that 
God  WLis  going  to  drown  the  world,  and  he  believed  it,  and 
acted  accordingly  ;  he  prepared  an  ark  to  save  his  famil}-,  and 
by  so  doing,  he  condemned  the  world  that  would  not  believe  ; 
his  actions  gave  evidence  that  he  was  sincere.  Abraham,  too, 
was  called  of  God  to  leave  his  country,  with  the  promise  that 
he  should  be  the  gainer  by  it,  and  he  obeyed  and  went  out, 
without  knowing  where  he  should  go.  Read  the  whole  chap- 
ter and  you  will  find  many  instances  of  the  same  kind.  The 
,whole  design  of  tJie  chapter  is  to  illustrate  the  nature  of  faith, 
and  to  show  that  it  invariably  results,  in  action.  The  sinner 
should  have  it  explained  to  Inm,  and  he  made  to  nee  that  the 
faith  which  tlie  Gospel  requires  ia  just  that  confidence  in 
Christ  whicli  leads  him  to  act  on  what  he  says  as  a  certain 
fact.     This  is  believing  in  Christ. 

I  3.  Another  direction  proper  to  be  given  to  the  sinner  is  that 
he  shoiUd  giuchist  heart  to  Ood.  God  says,  "  My  son,  give  me 
thine  heart."  J3ut  here  also  there  needs  to  be  expianationj 
to  make  liim  understand  what  it  is.  It  "is  amazing  that  there 
shoiJd  be  auj_diU\lcQ(^  hei^.  _  It  is  the  language  of  common 


852  DIRECTIONS    TO    SIN  NEKS. 

life,  in  everybody's  mouth,  and  everybody  understands  joal 
what  it  means,  when  we  use  it  in  regard  to  anything  else. 
But  when  it  comes  to  rehgion,  they  seem  to  be  all  m  tlie  dark. 
Ask  a  sinner,  no  matter  what  may  be  Ins  age,  or  education, 
what  it  means  to  give  the  heart  to  God,  and,  strange  as  it 
may  appear,  he  is  at  a  loss  for  an  answer.  Ask  a  woman  what 
it  is  to  give  her  heart  to  her  husband,  or  a  man  what  it  is  to  give 
his  heart  to  his  wife^  and  they  understand  it.  But  then  they 
are  totally  blmd  as  to  giving  their  hearts  to  God.  I  suppose 
I  have  asked  more  thaii  a  thousand  anxious  sinners  tBis  ques- 
tion. When  I' have  told  them  theyjnust  give  their  hearts  to 
God,  they  would  always  say  they  were  wilhng  to  do  it,  and, 
sometimes,  that  they  were  anxious  \o  do  it,  and  even  seem  to 
be  in  an  agony  of  desire  about  it.  .  Then  I  have  asked  them 
what  they  understood  to  be  giving  their  hearts  to  God,  aa 
they  were  so  willing  to  do  it.  And  very  seldom  have  I  re^ 
ceived  a  correct  or  rational  answer  from  a  sinner  of  any  age. 
I  have  sometimes  had  the  strangest  answers  that  can  be 
imagined — anything  buc  what  they  ought  to  say.  Now,  to 
give  your  heart  to  God  is  the  same  thing  as  to  give  your  heart 
to  anybody  else  ;  the  same  as  for  a  woman  to  give  her  heart 
to  her  husband.  Ask  that  woman  if  she  imderstands.  this  ? 
"  Oh,  yes,  that  is  plain  enough,  it  is  to  place  my  affections  on 
him,  and  strive  to  please  him  m  everythmg."  Very  well,  place 
your  affections  on  God,  and  sthve  to  please  him  in  everything. 
But  alas,  when  they  come  -to  the  subject  of  rehgion,_  people 
suppose  there  is  some  wonderful  mystery  about  it.  Some 
talk  as  if  they  supposed  it  was  to  take  this  bundle  of  musdes, 
or  fleshy  organ,  in  their  bosom,  and  give  it  to  God.  Smner,' 
what  God  asks  of  you  is,  that  you  should  love  him  supremely, 
3.  Submit  to  God,  is  also  a  proper  direction  to  anxious  8m«« 
ners.  And,  oh,  how  dark  sinners  aie  here  toj.  Scarcely  a 
einner  can  be  found,  who  will  not  tell  you  he  is  walling  to  sub- 
mit to  God.  But  they  do  not  understand  it.  They  need  to 
be  told  what  true  submission  is.  Sometimes  they  think  it 
means  tliaf'they  shoufd  be  willing  to  be  damned.  Some- 
times they  place  themselves  in  this  attitude,  and  call  it  sub- 
mission ;  they  say,  if  they  *are  elected,  they  shall  be  saved, 
and  if  not,  they  shall  be  damned  This  is  not  submission. 
True  submission,  is  yieldmg  obedience  to  God.  Suppose  a 
rebel,  in  arms  against  the  government,  was  called  on  to  subr. 
mit.  What  would  he  understand  by  it?  Why,  that  he 
should  yield  the  point,  and  lay  down  his  arms,  and  obey  the« 
laws.  That  is  just  Vhat  it  means,  for  a  sinner  to  submit  to 
God   lie  must  cease  his  sliife  and  conflict  against  h:s  iVlaker^ 


DIBECnONS  TO  SINNBRW.  ^36$ 

and  lake  the  attitude  of  a  wflling  and  obedient  child,  willing 
to  be  and  do  whatever  God  requires.  "  Here,  Lord,  am  I ; 
Lord,  what  wUt  thou  have  rae  to  do  ?" 

Suppose  a  company  of  soldiers  had  rebelled,  and  Govern* 
ment  had  raised  an  array  to  put  thera  dovra,  and  had  driven 
them  into  a  strong  hold,  where  they  were  out  of  provisions, 
and  had  no  way  -to  escape,  and  they  should  not  know  what 
to  do.  Suppose  the  rebels  to  have  met  in  this  extremity,  to 
consider  what  is  to  be  done?  and  one  rises  up,  and  says, 
**  Well,  comrades,  I  am  convinced  we  are  all  wrong  from  the 
beginning,  and  now  the  reward  of  our  deeds  is  like  to  over- 
take us,  and  We  cannot  escape,  and  as  for  remainmg  here  to 
die,  I  am  resolved  not  to  do  it,  1  am  /^  Ding  to  throw  myself 
on  the  mercy  of  the  commander-in-chief.  *  That  man  submits. 
He  ceases,  fi'om  that  moment,  to  be  a  rebel  in  his  heart,  just 
as  soon  as  he  comes-to  this  conclusion.  So  it  is  with  the  sin- 
ner when  he  yields  the  point,  and  consents  in  his  heart  to  do, 
and  be,  whatever  Gk>d  shall  require.  The  sinner  may  be  in 
doubt  what  to  do,  and  may  feel  afraid  to  put  himself  in  God's 
hands,  thinking  that  if  he  does,  perhaps  God  will  send  him 
down  to  hell,  as  he  deserves.  But  it  is  his  business  to  leave 
an  that  question  with  God,  and  not  resist  his  Maker  any 
longer,  but  give  all  up  to  God,  make  no  conditions,  and  trust 
it  wholly  to  God's  benevolence  and  wisdom  to  decide  what 
shall  be  done,  and  to  appoint  his  future  condition.  Until  you 
do  this,  sinner,  you  have  done  nothing  to  the  purpose. 

5«.  Another  proper  direction  to  be  given  to  sinners,  is  to 
confesa-and  forsiike  your  sins.  This  means  that  tboy  should 
both  confess  and  forsake  them.  They  must  confess  to  God 
their  sins  against  God,  and  <?oiifess  to  men  their  sins  against 
"men,  and  forsake  them  alL  A  man  does  not  forsake  his  sins 
till  he  has  made  all  the  reparation  in  his  power.  If  he  has 
stolen  money,  or  defrauded  his  neighbor  out  of  property,  he 
does  not  forsake  his  sins  by  merely  resolving  not  to  steal  any 
more,  or  not  to  cheat  again  ;  he  must  make  reparation  to  the 
extent  of  his  power.  So,  if  he  has  slandered  any  one,  he 
does  not  forsake  his  sin  by  merely  saying  he  will  not  do  so 
again.  He  must  make  reparation.  So,  in  Uke.  manner,  if  he 
has  robbed  God,  as  all  sinners  have,  he  must  make  reparation, 
as  far  as  he  has  the  power.  Suppose  a  man  has-  made  money 
in  rebellion  against  God,  and  has  withheld  frpm  him  hjs 
time,  talents  and  service,  has  hved  and  rioted  upon  the  boun- 
ties of  his  providence,  and  refused  to  lay  himself  out  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world ;  he  hae  robbed  God.  Now,  if  he 
should  die  feeling  that  this  money  was  his  own,  and  should  he 


^54  DIRECTIONS  TO  SIU  ^EES. 

leave  it  io  his  heirs  without  consulting  the  will  of  God— why,' 
he  is  just  as  certain  to  go  to  hell  as  the  highway  robber.  Ha 
has  never  made  any  satisfaction  to  God.  With  all  his  whin- 
ing and  pious  talk,  he  has  never  confessed  HIS  SIN  to  God, 
nor  forsaken  his  sin,  for  he  has  never  felt  nor  acknowledged 
himself  to  be  the  steward  of  God.  If  he  refuses  to  hold  the 
property'  ill  his  possession,  as  the  steward  of  God  :  if  he  ac- 
counts it  his  owUi.  and  as  such  gives  it  to  his  children,  he 
says,  in  effect,  to  God,  "That  property  is  not  yours,  it  is 
mine,  and  I  vnXl  give  it  to  my  children."  He  has  continued 
to  persevere  in  his  sin,  for  he  does  not  relinquish  the  ownersliip 
of  tloat  of  which  he  has  robbed  Godr 

What  would  a  merchant  think,  if  his  hired  clerk  should 
take  all  the-  capital  and  set  up  a  store  of  his  own,  and  die 
Tvith  it'.in  his  hands?  Will  such  a  man  go  to  heaven  ?  "  No," 
you  say,  every  one  of  you^  "  If  such  a  man  does  not  go  to 
hell,  there  might  just  as  well  be  no  hell."  God  would  prove 
himself  infinitely  unjust,  to  let  such  a  cliaracter  go  unpunished. 
What,  then,  shall  we  say  o!  the  man  who  has  robbed  God  all 
his  life  ?  Here  God  set  him  to  be  his  clerk,  to  manage  some 
of  his  affairs,  and  he  has  gone  and  stolen  all  the  money,  and 
says  it  is  his,  and  he  keeps  it,  and  dies,  and  gives  it  to  his 
cluldi'en,  as  if.  it  was  all  liis  own  lawful  property.  Is  that 
man  going  to  heaven  ?  Has  ^hat  man  forsaken  sin  ?  I  tell 
you,  no.  If  he  has  not  surrendered  himself  and  all  to  God, 
he  has  not  taken  the  fii'st  step  in  the  way  to  heaven. 

6.  Another  proper  du^ectioA  to  be  given  to  sirmers  ts, 
"  Choose  -ye  this  dai/,  luliom  ye  zvill  senve?''  Under  the  Old 
Testament  dispensation,  tliis  or  something  equivalent  to  it, 
was  the  most  common  dii^ection  given.  It  was  not  common 
to  call  on  men  to' believe  in  Qhrist  until  the  days  of  John  the 
Baptist.  He  baptized  those  who  came  to  him,  with  the  bap- 
tism of  repentance,  and  directed  thei\i  to  believe  on  him  who 
should  come  after  hiin.  Under  Joshua,  the  text  was  some- 
thing which  the  people  .aU  understood  more  easily  than  they 
would  a  call  to  bcheve  on  the  distant  Messiah  ;  it  w^  "  Choose 
ye,  this  day,  whom  ye  will  serve."  On  another  occasion, 
moses  said  to  them,  *'  I  call  heaven  and  earth  to  record  this 
day  against  you,  that  I  have  set  before  you  life  and  death, 
olessing  and  cursing  ;  therefore  choose  life,  that  both  thou 
and  thy  seed  may  hve."  The  dkcction  was  accommodated  to 
the  people's  ktiowledge.  And  it  is  good  now,  as  it  was  then. 
Sinners  are  called  upon  to  choose— what?  Whether  they 
will  serve  .God  oi"  the  world — whether  they  wiU  follow  holi- 
ness or  sin.    Let  thATy>  bo  made  to  understand  what  is  mf>^.Tij 


DtBECmONS  TO  SINNEB8L  355 

by  choosing,  and  what  it  is  to  be  chosen,  and  then  if  the 
thing  is  done  fi'om  the  heart,  they  v^ill  be  saved. 

Ally  of  these  directions,  if  complied  with,  wU  constitute 
true  conversion.  The  particular  exercises  may  vary  in  difLBr* 
cnt  CRSds.  Sometimes  the  first  exercise  in  conversion,  is  sub 
mission  to  God,  sometimes  repentance,  sometimes  faith,  some 
times -the  choice  of  God  and  his  service,  in  short,  whaievei 
their  thoughts  are  taken-  up  with  a*  the  time.  If  their 
thoughts  are  chrected  to  Christ  at  the  moment,  the  first  exer- 
cise will  be  faith.  11*  to  sin,  the  first  exercise  will  be  repeD^ 
aiice.  If  to  their  futuVc  course  of  life,  it  is  choosing  the  ser- 
vice of  God-  If  to  the  Divine  government,  it  is  submission. 
It  IS  important  to  find  out  just  where  the  Holy  Spirit  is  press- 
ing the  sinner  at  the  time,  and  then  take  care  to  push  tha* 
point  If  it  is  in  regard  to  Christ,  press  that ;  if  it  is  in  re 
gard  to  his  futui-e  couis^  of  hfe,  push  him  right  up  to  an  im 
mediate  choice  of  obedience  to  God. 

It  is  a  great  error  to  suppose  that  any  one  particular  exer- 
cise IS  always  foremost  in  conversion,  or,  that  every  sinnei 
must  have  faith  first,  or  submission  first  It  is  not  true, 
either  in  philosophy  or  in  fact.  There  is  a  great  vaiioty  in 
rpcoplc's  exercises.  Wliatever  point  is  taken  hold  of,  between 
God  and  the  sumer,  when  the  sinner  YIELDS  that,  he  is 
converted.  Whatever  the  pai'ticular  exercise  may  be,  if  it  in- 
cludes obeJicfK'e  of  heart  Oh  Q<id  nn  ant/  pointy  it  is  true  con- 
vei*sion.  Wlien  he  yields  one  point  to  Ood'a  anihonti/^  he  is 
ready  to  yield  all.  AVhen  he  changes  his  mind,  and  obeys  in 
ojie  thing,  iecnuse  it  Is  Ovd's  wii/,  he  ^ill  obey  in  other  thmgs, 
so  far-as.he  sees  it  to  be  God's  will  Where  there  is  this  right 
choice,  then,  whenevei*  the  miad  is  dii-ected  to  any  one  point 
of  duty,  he  is -ready  to  follow.  It  mattei-s  very  little  which 
of  these  dii'ectious  is  given,  if  it  is  only  made  plain,  and  if  it 
is  to  the  point,  so  a^  to  serve  as  a  test  of  nhtdtence  to  God.  If 
it  is  to  the  point  that  the  Spiiit  of  God  is  debating  with  the 
siimer's  mind,  so  as  to  fall  in  with  the  Spirit's  work,  and  not 
to  divert  the  sinner  s  attention  fi'om  the  very  point  in  coatro- 
vei-sy,  let  it  be  made  perfectly  clear,  and  then  pressed  till  the 
shiner  fields,  and  he  will  be  saved. 

III.  I  am  to  mention  several -errors  which  anxious  sinners 
arc  apt  to  fah  into,  respecting  this  great  inquuT. 

1.  The  first  error  is,  in  supposing  that  they  must  make 
themselves  better,  or  prepare  themselves,  so  as  in  some  ^ay 
to  rocommeud  themselves  to  the  mercy  of  God.  It  is  rair- 
veloiis,  that  sinners  will  not  imdei-stand,  that  all  they  have  to 
do  is  to  Qccejii  baivatiun  from  God,  &U  prepared  to  thoii 


056  "oiBEcriONS  to  sunfERS. 

hands.  But  they  all,  learned  or  unlearned,  at  first,  betake 
themselves  to  a  legal  course  to  get  relief.  This  is  one  princi 
pal  reason  why  they  will  not  become  Christians  at  once,  just 
OS  soon  as  they  b^in  to  attend  to  the  subject  They  imagine 
that  they  must  be,  in  some  way  or  other,  prepared  to  come. 
They  must  change  their  dress,  and  make  themselves  look  a 
little  better  ;  they  are  not  willing  to  come  just  as  they  are,  in 
their  rags  and  poverty.  They  must  have  something  more 
on,  before  they  can  approach  to  God  They  should  be 
shown,  at  once,  that  it  ia  imposable  they  should  be  any  bet- 
ter, until  they  do  what  God  requires.  Every  pulse  that 
beats,  every  breath  they  draw,  they  are  growing  worse,  be- 
cause they  are  standing  out  in  rebellion  against  God,  so  long 
as  they  do  not  do  the  very  thbig  which  w^  requires  of  them 
-as  the  first  thing  to  be  done. 

2.  Another  error  is,  in  supposmg  that  they  must  siiffer  a 
consider  able  time  under  convicUon^  as  a  kind  of  punishment,  b©* 
foro  they  are  ready  properly  to  come  to  Christ.  And  so  they 
will  pray  for  conviction.  And  they  think,  that  if  they  are 
ground  down  to  the  earthy  with  distress,  for  a  sufficient  time, 
then  God  will  pity  them,  and  be  more  ready  to  help  them, 
when  he  sees  them  so  very  miserable.  They  should  be  made 
to  imderstand  clearly,  that  ihey  are  thus  uimappy  and  mise]> 
able,  merely  because  Uiey  refuse  to  accept  the  relidf  which  God 
offers.  Take  the  case  of  the  stubborn  child,  when  his  parent 
stands  over  bim  with  the  -rod,  and  the  child  shudders  and 
screams.  Should  that  child  imagine  he  is  gaining  anything 
by  his  agony  ?  His  distress  arises  from  his  conviction,  and 
shall  he  pray  for  more  conviction  ?  Does  that  make  him  any 
better?  Does  his  father  pity  hi  pi  any  more,  because  he 
Btands  out  ?  Who  does  not  see  that  he  is  all  the  while  grow- 
ing, worse  ? 

3.  Sometimes  sinners  imagine  thai  they  must  ivailfor  different 
feelings,  before  they  submit  to  God.  They  say,  "I  do  not 
think  I  feel  right  yet,  to  accept  of  Christ ;  I  do  not  think  I 
am  prepared  to  l^e  convei-ted  yet"  They  ought  to  be  made 
to  see  that  what  God  requires  of  them  is  to  iviU  right.  If 
they  obey  and  submit  with  the  imJl-,  the  feelings  will  adjust 
themselves  in  due  time.  It  is  not  a  question  of  feeling,  but 
of  willing  and  acting. 

Tho  feelings  are  involuntary,  and  have  no  moral  character 
except  what  they  derive  from  their  action  of  the  will,  with 
which  action  they  sympathize.  Before  the  wiU  is  right,  the 
feelings  wiU  not  be,  of  com-se.  The  sinner  should  come  to 
Christ  by  accepting  him  at  once ;  and  this  he  must  do,  not 


DIRECTIONS  TO   SINNERS.  357 

in  obedience  to  hi^  feelings,  but  in  obedience  to  his  conscunce. 
Obey,  submit,  trust.  Give  up  all  instantly,  and  your  feelings 
will  come  rigbt.  Do  not  wait  for  better  feelings,  but  commit 
your  whole  being  to  God  at  once,  and  this  will  soon  result 
in  the  feehugs  for  which  you  ai*e  waiting.  What  God  requires 
of  you,  is. the  present  act  of  your  own  mind,  in  turning  fi-om 
sin  to  hohness,  and  fi-om  the  service  of  Satan  to  the  servico 
of  the  hving  God 

>►  4.  Another  erfor  of  sinners,  is  to  suppose  they  must  wait 
till  their  heaiis  are  clmnged,  "What?"  say  they,  "  am  I  to  be- 
lieve ii>  Christ  before  my  heart  is  changed?  Do  you  mean 
that  I  ara  to  lepent  before  my  heart  is  changed ?  "Now,  the 
Bimple  answer  to  all  this  is,  that  the  change  of  heart  is  the 
very  thing  in  question.  God  requires  sinners- to* Ipve  hiuL 
Thai  IS  to  change  their  heart.  God  requires  the  sinner  to 
beUeve  the  Gospel.  That  is  to  change  his  heart  God  re- 
quires hiin  to  repent  That  is  to  change  bis  heart  God 
aoe9  Qot  tell  him  to  wait  till  his  heart  is  changed,  and  then 
repent  and  beheve,  and  love  God.  The  very  word  itself,  re- 
pent, sig-nifies  a  change  of  mind  or  heart  To  do  either  of 
thase  things,  is  to  change  your  heart,  and  to  make  you  a  new 
heart,  just  as  God  requires. 

t  6.  dinners  often  get  the  idea  that  they  are  perfectly  willing 
to  do  what  God  requires.  Tell  them  to  do  this  thing,  or 
Ihat^  to  repent,  or  beheye,  or  give  God  their  hearts,  and  they 
flay,  "  Oh,  yes,  I  am  perfectly  willing  to  do  that,  I  wish  I 
pould  do  it,  I  would  give  anything  If  I  could  do  it"  They 
ought  to  understAnd,  that,  being  truly  willing  l3  doing  it,  but 
there  is  a  difference  between  willing  and  desiring.  People 
often  desire  to  be  Cln-jfltians,  when  they  are  wholly  unwilling 
to  be  so.  When  we  seo  an;y'thing  which  appears  to  us  to 
be  a  good,  we  are  so  constituted  that  we  desire  it  We 
necessarily  desire  it  w|i£n  it  is  before  our  minds.  W6  can- 
not holp  desb*ing  it  in  proportion 'as  its  goodness  is  presented 
to  -our  minda  But  yet  we  may  not  be  willing  to  have  it, 
^ under  all  the  circumstances.  It  may  be  that  we  prefer,  upon 
the  whole,  that  the  present  possessor  should  continue  to  pos- 
.aess  it  still  Or  that  we  choose  to  have  oiu*  friend  or  diild 
possess  it,  instead  of  ourselves.  A  man  may  desire  to  go  to 
Philadelphia  on  many  p^xjounts,  while,  for  still  more  weighty 
reasons,  he  ^"400308  not  to  ^o  there.  So  the  sinner  may  de- 
sire to  be  a  Christian.  He  may  sea  many  good  things  in 
being  a  Christian.  He  may  see  that  if  he  -were  a  Christian 
he  would  be  a  great  deal  more  happy,  and  that  he  should 
go  to  heaven  when  he  dies,  but  yet  he  is  not  willing  to  be  a 


S58  DIRECTIONS  TO  SINNERS. 

Chiistian.  WILLING  to  obey  Christ  ig  to  be  a  Christiaii 
When  au  individual  actually  chooses  to  obey  God,  he  is  a 
Christian,  lint  all  such  desu-es,  as  do  not  unply  actual 
choice,  arc  nothing. 

6.  The  siuner  \\i]l  sometimes  sa^',  that  he  ofers  to  pve 
God  lus  heai-t,  but  he  intimates  that  God  is  unwolhng.  But 
this  IS  absurd.  What  does  God  ask  ?  ^Vhy,  that  you  should 
love  hnh.  Now,  lor  you  to  say  you  cire  wilhng  to  give  God 
yoiu*  heart,  but  God  is  unwilling,  is  the  same  as  saving  that 
you  are  wilUng  to  love  God,  but  God  is  not  willmg  to  be 
loved  by  you,  and  will  not  suffer  you  to  love  him.  It  is  un- 
portant  to  clear  up  all  these  pomts  in  the  sinner's  mmd,  that 
he  may  have  no  dark  and  mysterious  comer  to  rest  in,  where 
the  truth  wiU  not  reach  him. 

7.  Sinners  sometimes  get  the  idea  that  they  repent,  when 
they  are  onl}'  convicted.  Whenever  t^ey  sinner  is  fouAd 
resting  in  any  LIE,  let  the  truth  -sweep  it  away,  however 
much  it  may  pam  and  distress  him.  If  he  has  any  error  of 
this  kmd,  you  must  tear  it  away  from  htm,  if  you  do  not 
mean  tliat  he  shall  stumble  into  the  depths  of  heU. 

8.  Sinners  are  often  whoUy  taken  up  with  looking ;d  them- 
sdc&%  to  eee  if  they  cannot  find  something  there,  some  kind 
of  feelmg  or  other,  that  wiU  recoimnend  them  to  God.  Evi- 
dently, for  want  of  projxir  mstruction,  David  Bramard  was 
a  long  time  taken  up  with  his  state  of  mind,  looking  for  some 
feelings,  that  would  recommend  him  to  God.  Sometimes  he 
imagined  that  he  had  such  feelings,  and  would  tell  God  in 
prayer,  that  now  he  felt  as  he  ought,  to  receive  his  mercy  ; 
and  then  he  would  see  that  he  had  been  all  wrong,  and  be 
ashamed  that  he  had  told  God  that  he  felt  right.  Thus,  the 
poor  man,  for  want  of  correct  instruction,  was  driven  almost 
to  despan,  and  it  is  easy  to  see  thai  his  Chiistian  exercises 
through  life  were  greatly  modified,  and  his  comfort  and  use- 
fulness much  impaired  by  the  false  philosophy  he  had-adoptetl 
on  this  point.  You  must  turn  the  sinner  away  from  himself 
to  something  else.  Supppse  he  keeps  poring  over  himself 
tmtil  he  Ib  gomg  into  a  state  of  despair.  The  proper  course 
then  is,  to  tm*n  off  his  attention  from  looldng  at  himself 
and  make  him  look  at  some  duty  to  be  perfonned,  or  make 
him  look  at  Chiist,  and,  perhaps-,  before  he  is  aware,  he  will 
find  that  he  has  submitted  to  God.  His  attention  was  di- 
verted away  fi'om  himself,  to  contemplate  the  reasonableness 
of  God's  requii-ements,  or  the  sufficiency  of  Chiist's  atone- 
ment, or  somethmg  of  this  kind,  and  as  he  dwelt  upon  it  Jhe 
just  gave  up  hi§^ijeiu:ti  and  it^o^onj  was  over. 


OVBECnONS  TO  SLNITEBS.  Mf 


RElfARKS. 

1.  The  Ial3or  of  minifit^rs  is  greatly  increased,  and  the 
dKBniilties  in  the  way  of  salvation  are  greatly  multiplied,  by 
th«  false  mgtnictions  that  have  been  given,  to  sinners.  The 
consequence  has  been,  that  directions  whiah  used  to  be  plain 
are  now  obscure.  People  have  been  taught  so  long,  that 
there  is  something  a-wfujly  mysterious  and  unintelligible 
abont  conversion,  that  they-  do  not  try  to  understand  it. 
Simiers  have  been  taught  these  false  notions,  till  now  they 
are  everywhere  entrenched  behind  these  sentiments,  such  as 
**  cannot  repent,"  "  must  wait  for  God,"  and  the  like.  It 
was  once  sufficient,  as  we  learn  from  the  Bible,  to  tell  sinners 
to  repent,  or  to  telJ  them  to  beheve  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
But  now  faith  has  been  talked  about  as-a  principle,  instead 
of  an  act,  and  repentance  as  sonietliing  put  into  the  mind, 
instead  of  an  exercise  of  the  mind,  and  sinners  ai-e  per- 
plexed. IVIinisters  are  charged  with  preaching  heresy,  be- 
cause they  presume  to'  teach  that  faith  is  an  exercise,  and  not 
a  principle,  and  that  sin  is  an  act,  and  not  p,  part  of  the  con- 
stitution of  man.  And  sinners  have  become  so  sophisticated, 
that  you.  have  to  be  at  great  pains  in  explaining  not  only 
what  you  do. not  mean,  but  what  you  do  mean,  otherwise 
they  mil  be  £Llmost.sm-e  to  misunderstand  you,  and  either 
gam  a  false  rehef  from  their  anxiety,  by  tlirowing  their  duty 
ofi'  upon  God,  or  else  run  into  despair  from  the  supposed  im- 
practicabihty  of  doing  what  is  requisite  for -their  salvation. 
It  IS  often  the  greatest  difficulty  to  lead  them  out  of  these 
theological  labyrinths  and  mazes,  into  which  they  have  been 
deluded,  and  to  lead  them  along  the  straight  and  simple  way 
of  the  Gospel  It  seems  as  if  the  greatest  ingenuity. had  been 
employed  to  mystify  the  minds  of  people  and  weave  a  most 
subtle  web  of  false  philosophy,  calculated  to  involve  a  euiner 
in  endless  darkness- 

Who  that  has  been  -in  revivals,  has  not  encountered  that 
endless  train  of  fooleries,  which  have  been  inculcated,  till  it 
lias  become  nece=isary  to  be  as  plain  a^  A  B  C,  and- the  best 
educated  have  to  be  talked  to  just  like  children.  60  much 
has  been  done  to  mystify  and  befool  people's  minds  in  the 
plainest  matters.  Tell  a  sinner  to  believe,  and  he  turns  round 
to  you,  and  stares,  "  Why,  how  you  talk  ;  is  not  faith  a  prin* 
ciple  unplanted  in  the  soul,  and  how  am  I  to  belie\-e  until  I 
^et  this  prmciple  ?"  So,  if  a  minister  tells  a  sinner  the  very 
words  that  tlie  apostles  used,  in  the  great  revival  at  the  daj 
of  penteoost,  "  Hepeut  and  be  ccMiverted,  every  oae  of  you," 


'360  tHREdlONS  TO  BINXERS^ 

they  reply  as  they  have  been  taught^  "  Ob^  I  guess  you 
are  an  Arminian ;  I  do  not  want  any  of  your  Arminian  teach* 
ing  for  me  ;  do  not  you  deny  the  Spirit's  influences  ?"  It  is 
enough  to  make  humanity  weep  to  see  the  log  and  darkness 
that  have  been  thrown  around  the  plain  directions  of  the 
Gospel,  till  many  generations  have  been  emptied  into  hell. 

2,  These  false  instructions  to  sinneis  are  infinitely  worse 
than  none.  ^  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  found  it  more  difficult  to 
get  the  people  to  yield  up  their  false  notions  of  theology  than 
anything  else.  .  This  has  been  the  great  difficulty  with  the 
Jews  to  this  day,  that  they  have  received,  false  notions  in 
theology,  have  perverted  the  truth  on  certain  points,  and  you 
cannot. make  them  understand . the  plaiaest  points  in  the 
Gospel.  So  it  is  with  sinners,  the  most  'difficult  thing  to  be 
done  is  to  get  away  these  refuges  of  lies,  which  they  have 
gotten  from  false  theology.  They  are  'so  fond  of  holding  on 
to  these  refuges,  because  they  are  called  orthodox,  ;and  be* 
cause  they  excuse  the  sinner,  and  condemn  God,  that  it  is 
found  to  be  the  niost  perplexing,  and  difficult,  and  discou^rag- 
ing  part  of  a  minister's  labor  to  drive*  them  away. 

3.  No  wonder  the  Gospel  has  taken  so  little  eflfect,- encumr 
bered  as  it  has  been  with  these  strange  dogmas.  •  The  truth 
is,  that  very  Httle  of  the  Gospel  has  come  out  upon  the  world, 
for  these  hundi-eds  of  years,  without  being  clogged  and  ob- 
scured by  false  theology.  People  have  been  told  tbat  they 
must  repent,  and,  in  the  same  breath,  told  that  they  could 
not  repent  until  the  truth  itself  has  been  all  mixed  up  with 
error,  so  as  to  •  produce  the  same  practical  effect  with  error, 
and  the  Gospel  that  is  preached  has  been  another  gospel,  or 
no  gospel  at  all. 

.  4.  You  can  understaiid  what  is"  meant  by  healing  slightly 
the  hurt  of  the  daughter  of  God's  people,  and  the  danger  of 
doing  it.  It  is  very  easy  when  sinners  are  under  conviction, 
to  say  something" that  shall  smooth  over  the  case,  and  reUeve 
their  anxiety,  so  that  they  will  either-  get  a  false  hope,  or  will 
be  converted  with  their  views  so  obscure^  that  they  will  al- 
ways be  poor,  feeble,  wavering,  doubting,  ineffici^it  Christians. 
5.  Much  depends  on  the  manner  in  which  a -person  is  dealt 
with,  when  under  conviction.  Much  of  his  future  comfort 
and  usefulness  depends  on  the  clearness,  and  strength,  and 
firmness,  with  which  the  directions  of  the  Gospel  are  given,, 
when  he  is  under  conviction.  If  those  who  deal  with  him  ai?e 
afraid  to  use  the  probe  thoroughly,  he  will  always  be  a  poor, 
sickly,  doubting' Christian.  If  converted  at  all,  he  will  never 
,do  much  good.    The  true,  mod©,  js.tp  deal,  thoroughly  an^ 


T>TBTICmON8    TO    SUnTEKg.  861 

plainly  with  a  sinner,  to  tear  away  every  excuse  he  can  geft 
up,  and  show  him  plainly  what  he  is,  and  what  he  ought  to 
be,  and  he  will  bless  God  to  all  eternity,  that  he  fell  in  with 
those  who  wonld  be  so  faitliiiil  to  his  soul.  For  the  want  of 
this  thorough  and  searching  management,  many  are  convert- 
ed who  seem  to  be  stillborn.  And  the  reason  is,  they  never 
were  faithfully  dealt  with.  We  may  charitably  hope  they  are 
Christians,  but  still  it  is  uncertain  and  doubtful.  Their  con- 
version seems  rather  a  change  of  opinion,  than  a  change  of 
heari  But  if,  v/hen  a  sinner  is  under  conviction,  you  pour  in 
the  truth,  put  in  the  probe,  break  up  the  old  foundations,  and 
sweep  away  his  refuges  of  hes,  and  use  the  word  of  God,  like 
fire  and  like  a  hammer,  you  will  find  that  they  will  come  out 
with  clear  views,  and  strong  faith,  and  firm  principles,  not 
doubting,  halting,  in-esolute  Christians,  but  such  as  follow  the 
Lord  wholly.  That  is  the  way  to  make  strong  Christians. 
This  has  been  eminently  the  case  in  many  revivals  of  modem 
days.  I  have  heard  old  Christians  say  of  the  converts,  "  These 
converts  were  borji  men  and  women,  fuU  grown,  they  never 
were  children,  but  have,  at  the  very  outset,  all  the  clearness 
of  view,  and  strength  of  faith,  of  old  Christians.  They  seem 
to  understand  the  doctrines  of  religion,  and  to  know  what  to 
do,  and  how  to  take  hold,  to  promote  revivals,  better  than 
one  in  a  hundred  of  the  old  members  in  the  church." 

I  once  knew  a  young  man  who  was  converted,  away  from 
home.  The  place  where  he  hved  had  no  minister,  and  no 
preaching,  and  no  religion.  He  went  home  in  three  days  after 
he  was  converted,  and  immediately  set  himself  to  work,  to  la- 
bor for  a  revival  He  set  up  meetings  in  his  neighborhood, 
and  prayed  and  labored,  and  a  revival  broke  out,  of  which  he 
had  the  principal  management  through  a  powerful  work,  which 
converted  most  of  the  principal  men  of  the  place.  The  truth 
was,  he  had  been  so  dealt  with,  that  he  faiew  what  he  was 
about.  He  understood  the  subject,  and  knew  where  he  stood 
himself.  He  was  not  all  the  while  troubled  with  doubts, 
whetlier  he  was  himself  a  Chiistian.  He  knew  that  he  was 
serving  God,  and  that  God  was  with  him,  and  so  he  went 
boldly  and  resolutely  forward  to  his  object.  But  if  you  un- 
dertaJie  to  make  converts,  without  cutting  up  aU  their  errors, 
and  tearing  away  their  false  hopes,  you  may  make  a  host  of 
hypocrites,  or  of  puny,  dwarfish  Christians,  always  doubting, 
and  easily  turned  back  from  a  revival  spirit,  and  worth  no- 
thing. The  way  is,  to  biing  them  right  out  to  the  Hght 
When  a  mati  is  converted  in  t£is  way,  you  can  depend  on  him, 
in<l  know  whore  to  Imd  him. 
16 


86S  DrBicnoirs  to  sinnkrs, 

7.  Protracted  seaaons  of  conviction  are  generally  owing  te 

defective  instruction.  Wherever  clear  and  faithful  instruoi 
tions  are  given  to  sinners,  there  you  will  generally  find  thai 
convictions  are  deep  and  pungent,  but  short. 

8.  Where  clear  and  discriminating  instructions  are  given  to 
convicted  sinners,  if  they  do  not  soon  submit,  their  convic- 
tions will  generally  leave  them.  Convictions  in  such  cases 
are  generally  short.  Where  sinners  are  deceived  by  false 
views,  they  may  be  kept  along  for  weeks,  and  perhaps  months, 
and  sometimes  for  yeai's,  in  a  languishing  state,  and  at  lastj 
perhaps,  be  crowded  iuto  the  kingdom  and  saved.  But  where 
the  truth  is  made  perfectly  clear  to  the  sinner's  mind,  and  aU 
his  errors  are  torn  away,  if  he  does  not  soon  submit,  his  case  is 
hopeless.  Where  the  truth  is  brought  to  bear  upon  his  mind^ 
and  he  directly  resists  the  very  truth  that  must  convert  him, 
there  is  nothing  more  to  be  done.  The  Spirit  will  soon  leave 
htm,  for  the  very  weapons  he  uses  are  resisted-  Where  in- 
structions are  not  clear,  and  are  mixed  up  with  errors,  the 
Spirit  may  strive  even  for  years,  in  great  mercy,  to  get  sin- 
ners through  the  fog  of  false  instruction.  But  not  so,  where 
their  duty  is  clearly  explained  to  them,  and  they  are  brought 
right  up  to  the  single  point  of  immediate  submission,  and 
have  all  their  false  pretences  exposed,  and  the  path  of  duty 
made  perfectly  plain.  Then,  if  they  do  not  submit,  the 
Spirit  of  God  forsakes  them,  and  their  state  is  well  nigh 
hopeless. 

If  there  be  sinners  in  this  house,  and  you  see  your  duty 
clearly,  TAKE  CARE  how  you  delay.  K  you  do  not  sub- 
mit, you  may  expect  the  Spirit  of  God  will  forsake  you,  and 
you  are  LOST. 

8.  A  vast  deal  of  the  direction  given  to  anxious  sinners 
amounts  to  Itttle  less  than  the  popish  doctrine  of  indulgences. 
The  pope  used  to  sell  indulgences  to  sin,  and  this  led  to  the 
reformation  under  Luther.  Sometimes  people  would  purchase 
an  indulgence  to  sin  for  a  certain  tioie,  or  to  commit  some 
particular  sin,  or  a  number  of  sins.  Now,  there  is  a  vast  deal 
in  protestant  churches,  which  is  Httle  less  than  the  same  thing. 
What  does  it  differ  from  this,  to  tell  a  sinner  to  wait  ?  The 
amount  of  it  is,  telling  him  to  continue  in  sin  a  while  longer, 
while  he  is  waiting  for  God  to  convert  him.  And  what  is  that 
but  an  indulgence  to  commit  sin?  Any  direction  given  to 
Binners  that  does  not  require  them  immediately  to  obey  Grod, 
is  an  indulgence  to  sin.  It  is  in  effect,  giving  them  Hberty  to 
continue  in  sin  against  God.  Such  directions  are  not  only 
wicked,  but  niinoiLs  and  ojneL     If  they  do  not  destroy  the 


DERECnONS   TO   SINNEBt.  869 

»oiil,  as  no  doubt  they  often  do,  they  defer,  at  all  events,  the 
sinner's  enjoyment  of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  he  stands  a 
great  chance  of  being  lost  for  ever,  wliile  hstening  to  such  in- 
structions. Oh,  how  dangerous  it  is,  to  give  a  sinner  reason 
to  think  he  may  wait  a  moment,  before  giving  his  heart  to 
God. 

9.  So  far  as  I  have  had  opportunity  to  observe,  those  con- 
versions which  are  most  sudden  have  commonly  turned  out 
to  be  the  best  Christians.  I  know  the  reverse  of  this  has 
often  been  held  and  maintained.  But  I  am  satisfied  there  is 
no  reason  for  it,  although  multitudes,  even  now,  regard  it  as 
a  suspicious  circumstance,  if  a  man  has  been  converted  very 
suddenly.  But  the  Bible  gives  no  warrant  for  this  supposi- 
tion. There  is  not  a  case  of  protracted  conviction  recorded 
in  the  whole  Bible.  All  the  conversions  recorded  there,  are 
sudden  conversions.  And  I  am  persuaded  there  never  would 
have  been  such  multitudes  of  tedious  convictions,  and  often 
ending  in  notliing  after  all,  if  it  had  not  been  for  those  theo- 
logical pei-versions  wliich  have  filled  the  world  with  cannoHsm. 
In  Bible  days,  they  told  sinners  to  repent,  and  they  did  it 
then.  Cannot-ism  had  not  been  broached  in  that  day.  It  is 
this  speculation,  about  the  inability  of  sinners  to  obey  God, 
that  lays  the  foundation  for  all  the  protracted  anguish  and 
distress,  and  perhaps  ruin,  through  which  so  man}^  are  led. 
Where  a  sinner  is  brought  to  see  what  he  has  to  do,  and  he 
takes  his  stand  at  once,  AND  DOES  IT,  he  generally  does  so 
afterwards,  and  you  generally  find  that  such  a  person  will 
hold  out  so,  and  prove  a  decidec?  character.  You  will  not  find 
him  one  of  those  that  you  always  have  to  warp  up  to  duty, 
like  a  ship,  against  wind  and  tide.  Look  at  those  professors 
who  always  have  to  be  dragged  forward  in  duty,  and  you  will 
generally  find  that  they  had  not  clear  and  consistent  direc- 
tions when  they  were  converted,  and  most  likely  they  will  be 
very  much  "afi'aid  of  these  sudden  conversions." 

Afraid  of  sudden  conversions  I  Some  of  the  best  Christians 
of  my  acquaintance  were  convicted  and  convei*ted  in  the  spac^ 
of  a  few  minutes.  In  one  quarter  of  the  time  that  I  have 
been  speaking,  many  of  them  were  awakened,  and  came  right 
out  on  the  Lord's  side,  and  have  been  shining  lights  in  the 
church  ever  since,  and  have  generally  manifested  the  same 
decision  of  chai-acter  in  rehgion,  that  they  did  when  they  first 
eame  out  and  took  a  stand  on  the  Lord  s  gide. 


LECTURE   XIX. 


INSTRUCTIONS   TC   CONVERTS. 


Tbxt.— Peed  my  lambs.— Johm  xxL  16. 


You,  who  read  your  Bibles,  recollect  the  connection  in  wlAdk 
these  words  are  found,  and  by  whom  they  were  spoken.  They 
were  addressed  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  Peter,  after  he 
had  denied  his  Lord,  and  had  professed  repentance.  Proba- 
bly one  of  the  designs  which  Christ  had  in  view,  in  suffering 
Peter  to  sin  so  awfully  as  to  deny  his  master,  was  to  produce 
a  deeper  work  of  grace  in  him,  ajid  thus  fit  him  for  the  pecu- 
har  duty  to  which  he  intended  to  call  him,  in  laying  the  foun- 
dations of  the  Christian  Church,  and  watching  over  the 
spiritual  interests  of  the  converts.  It  needed  a  peculiar  work 
of  gi'ace  in  his  soul,  to  fit  him  to  lead  others  through  those 
scenes  of  trial  and  temptation  to  which  the  early  Chiistians, 
in  particular,  were  exposed. 

It  is  evident,  that,  though  Peter  had  special  natural  quahfi- 
cations  for  such  a  work,  yet  he  was  quite  a  superficial  saint. 
He  was  probably  converted  before  this,  but  he  was  weak,  and 
there  was  left  so  much  of  his  natural  roughness  and  turbu- 
lence of  temper,  that  he  was  stDl  ready  to  bristle  up  on  any 
occasion,  and  take  offence  at  everything  that  crossed  him,  so 
that  he  was  still  quite  unfit  for  that  particular  work  to  which 
he  was  destiQcd,  Christ  designed  him  for  such  a  peculiar 
service,  that  it  seems  somethiQg  was  iadispensable  to  fit  him 
for  it,  and  make  him  such  a  saint,  that  future  opposition 
would  not  irritate  him,  nor  difficulties  dishearten  him,  nor 
success  and  honor  spoil  him,  by  lifting  up  his  heart  with  prida 
And,  therefore,  Christ  takes  the  effectual  method  recorded 
before  us,  of  dealing  with  him  once  for  all,  to  secure  a  thor- 
ough work  in  his  souL 

He  asked  bim  this  question,  to  remind  him,  m  an  affecting 
manner,  at  once  of  his  sin  and  of  the  love  of  Christ,  "  Simon, 
«»Mi  of  Jona,  lovest  thou  me  more  than  these?"  Strongly 
implying  a  doubt  whether  he  did  love  him.  Peter  answers, 
"  Yea,  Lord,  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thea"  He  said  unto  him, 
"Feed  my  lamby."  Ke  then  repeated  the  question,  as  if  he 
would  read  his  inmr>st  soul,  "  Simon,  son  of  Jona,  lov<>st  thon 


rNrsfrBucnoNS  to  young  oonvbbts.  366 

me  T'  Peter  was  still  firm,  and  promptly  answers  again, 
"  Yea,  Lord,  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.'*  Jesus  still  asked 
him  the  question  again,  the  third  time,  emphatically.  He 
seemed  to  urge  the  point,  as  if  he  would  search  his  inmost 
thoughts,  to  see  whetPier  Peter  would  ever  deny  him  again. 
Peter  was  touched,  he  was  gi'ieved,  it  is  said  ;  he  (hd  not  fly 
into  a  passion — he  did  not  boast,  as  he  did  on  a  former  oc- 
casion, "  Though  I  should  die  with  tliee,  yet  woiUd  I  not  deny 
thee,"  but  he  was  grieved,  he  was  subdued,  he  spoke  tenderly, 
he  appealed  to  the  Saviour  himself,  as  if  he  would  implore 
him  not  to  doubt  his  sincerity  any  longer,  "  Lord,  thou  Imow- 
est  all  things,  thou  Imowest  that  I  love  thee."  Christ  then 
gave  him  his  final  charge,  "  Feed  my  sheep." 

By  the  terms  sheep  and  lambs  here,  the  Saviour  undoubted- 
ly designated  Christians — members  of  his  chui-ch  ;  the  lamba 
probably  represent  yoimg  converts,  those  that  have  but  httle 
ex})erience  and  but  little  knowledge  of  rehgion,  and  therefore, 
need  to  have  special  attention  and  pains  taken  with  them,  to 
guard  fi'om  harm,  and  to  ti'ain  them  for  future  usefulness. 
And  when  oiu*  Savioiu*  told  Peter  to  feed  his  sheep,  he  doubt- 
less referred  to  the  important  part  which  Peter  was  to  perform 
in  watching  over  the  newly  formed  churches  in  different  parts 
of  the  world,  and  in  training  the  yoimg  converts,  and  leading 
tliem  along  to  usefulness  and  happiness. 

My  last  lecture  was  on  the  subject  of  giving  right  instruc- 
tion to  anxious  sinnei-s.  And  this  naturally  brings  me  along, 
in  this  Course  of  Lectures,  to  consider  the  manner  in  whi^ 
young  converts  should  be  treated  and  the  instructions  that 
should  be  given  to  them. 


INSTRUCTIONS   TO   YOUNG    C0NVEBT8L 

In  speaking  on  this  subject,  it  is  my  design, 

L  To  state  several  things  tliat  ought  to  be  considered,  \l 
regard  to  the  hopes  of  young  converta 

n.  Severiil  things  respecting  their  making  a  profession  of 
religion,  and  joining  the  church. 

ni  The  importance  of  having  correct  iostruction  given  to 
young  converts. 

rV.  "What  should  not  be  taught  to  young  convei-ts. 

V.  "Wliat  particular  things  are  specially  necessary  to  be 
taught  to  yomig  converts. 

VL  How  young  converts  should  be  treated  by  church  mem 
hem 


106  rssTBUcnoNS  to  toung  convbets 

L  I  am  to  state  several  matters  in  regard  to  the  hopes  (^ 
young  conve7'ts. 

1.  Notliing  should  be  said  to  them  to  create  a  hope.  No 
thing  should  oixhnarily  be  intimated  to  joersons  under  con- 
viction, calculated  to  make  them  think  they  have  experienced 
religion,  till  they  find  it  out  themselves.  I  do  not  hke  this 
term,  "  experienced  religion,"  and  I  use  it  only  because  it  is  a 
phrase  m  common  use.  It  is  an  absurdity  in  itself.  What 
is  religion  ?  Obedience  to  God.  Suppose  you  should  hear  a 
good  citizen  say  he  had  experienced  obedience  to  the  govern- 
ment of  the  country.  You  see  it  is  nonsense.  Or  suppose  a 
child  should  talk  about  experiencmg  obedience  to  his  lather. 
If  he  knew  what  he  was  saving,  he  would  say  he  had  obeyed 
kin  father^  just  as  the  apostle  Paul  says  to  the  Roman  believers, 
*'  Ye  have  obeyed  from  the  heart  that  form  of  doctiine  which 
was  delivered  you." 

What  I  mean  to  say  is,  that  ordinarily,  it  is  best  to  let  their 
hope  or  behef  that  they  are  converted  spring  up  spontaneous- 
ly in  theh  own  minds.  Sometimes  it  will  happen  that  per- 
sons may  be  really  converied,  but  owing  to  some  notions 
wliich  they  have  been  taught  about  religion,  they  do  not  re- 
alize it.  Their  views  of  what  religion  is,  and  its  effect  upon 
the  mind,  are  so  entirely  wide  of  the  truth,  that  they  do  not 
think  that  they  have  it.  I  will  give  you  an  illustration  of  this 
point. 

Some  years  since,  I  labored  in  a  place  where  a  revival  was 
in  progress,  and  there  was  m  the  place  a  young  lady  from  Bos- 
ton. She  had  been  brought  up  a  Unitarian,  she  had  consider- 
able education,  and  was  intelligent  on  many  subjects,  but  on 
the  subject  of  religion  she  was  very  ignorant.  At  length  she 
was  convicted  of  sin.  She  became  awfully  convinced  of  her 
horrible  enmity  against  God.  She  had  been  so  educated  as  to 
have  a  sense  of  propriety,  but  her  enmity  against  God  became 
so  great,  and  broke  out  so  frightfully,  that  it  was  horrible  to 
hear  her  talk.  She  used  to  come  to  the  anxious  meetings, 
where  we  conversed  with  each  one  separately.  And  her  feel- 
ings of  opposition  to  God  were  such  that  she  used  to  create 
disturbance.  By  the  time  I  came  within  two  or  three  seats 
from  her,  where  she  could  hear  what  I  said  in  a  low  voice  to 
others,  she  would  begin  to  make  remarks  in  reply,  so  that 
they  could  be  heai-d.  And  she  would  say  the  most  bit- 
ter things  agaiust  God,  and  against  his  providence,  and  his 
method  of  dealing  with  mankind,  as  if  God  was  an  infinite 
tyrant  She  would  speak  of  hun  as  the  most  unjust  and 
Israel  being  in  the  universe.     I  would  try  to  hush  her,  and 


nrsTBucnoNS  to  toxjtxq  contebm.  Wt 

make  her  keep  still,  because  she  disti'actetl  the  attention  of 
others.  Sometimes  she  would  stop  and  command  her  tempei 
awhile,  and  sometimes  she  would  rise  and  go  out  I  have  sel- 
dom seen  a  case,  where  the  enmity  of  the  heart  rose  so  high 
a.  %inst  God-  One  night  at  the  anxious  meeting,  after  she 
hu  been  very  restless,  as  I  came  towards  her,  she  began  as 
usi.  ^  to  reply,  but  I  hushed  her,  and  told  her  I  could  not 
com  '•se  with  her  there,  but  invited  her  to  my  room  the  next 
mom  g,  and  then  I  would  talk  with  her.  She  promised  to 
come,  but,  says  she,  "  God  is  unjust,  he  is  infinitely  imjust 
Is  he  not  almighty  ?  Why  then  has  he  never  shown  me  my 
enmity  before ?  Why  has  he  let  me  run  on  so  long?  Why 
doeci  he  let  my  friends  at  Boston  remain  in  this  ignorance  ? 
They  are  the  enemies  of  God,  as  much  as  I  am,  and  are  go- 
ing to  hell  Why  does  he  not  show  them  the  truth  in  regard 
to  their  condition  ?"    And  in  this  temper  she  left  the  room. 

The  next  morning  she  came  to  my  room,  as  she  had  prom* 
ised.  I  saw  as  soon  as  she  came  in  that  her  countarLance  was 
changed,  but  I  said  nothing  about  ii  "  Cli,'  said  she,  *  x 
have  changed  my  mind,  as  to  what  I  said  last  night  about 
God,  I  do  not  think  he  has  done  me  any  wrong,  and  I  think 
I  shall  get  religion  sometime,  for  now  I  love  to  think  about 
God.  I  have  been  all  wrong  ;  the  reason  why  I  had  never 
known  my  enmity  before,  was,  that  I  would  noi  I  used  to 
read  the  Bible,  but  I  always  passed  over  the  passages  that 
would  make  me  feel  as  if  I  was  a  lost  sinner,  and  those  pas- 
sages that  spoke  of  Jesus  Christ  as  God,  I  passed  over  with- 
out consideration,  and  now  I  see  that  it  was  my  fault,  not 
God's  fault,  that  I  did  not  know  any  more  about  myself  ;  I 
have  changed  my  mind  now."  She  had  no  idea  that  this  was 
rehgion,  but  she  was  encouraged  now  to  expect  religion  at 
some  future  time,  because  she  loved  God  so  much.  I  said 
nothing  to  make  her  imaguie  that  I  thought  her  a  Christian, 
but  left  her  to  find  it  out  And,  for  a  time,  her  mind  was  so 
entirely  occupied  with  tliinking  about  God,  that  she  never 
seemed  to  ask  whether  this  is  rehgion  or  noi 

It  is  a  great  evil,  ordinarily,  to  encourage  persons  to  hope 
they  are  Christians.  Very  likely  you  may  judge  prematurely. 
Or  if  not,  it  is  better  they  should  find  it  out  for  themselves, 
suppose  they  do  not  see  it  at  once.  They  may  break  down 
lower  than  ever,  and  then  they  will  come  out  so  clear  and  de- 
dded,  that  they  wiQ  know  where  they  are. 

2.  AMien  you  see  persons  expressing  a  hope,  and  yet  they 
express  doubts  too,  it  is  generally  because  the  work  is  not 
thor:)ugh       If  they  are  converted,  they  need  breaking  ujv 


W8  nrsTRucnoN*  to  toitn-g  conv-erts. 

They  ore  still  lingering  aroxind  the  world,  or  they  have  not 
broken  off  effectually  from  their  sins,  and  they  need  to  be 
pushed  back,  rather  than  urged  forward.  If  you  see  reason 
to  doubt,  or  if  you  find  that  they  have  doubts,  most  proba- 
bly there  is  some  good  reason  to  doubt.  Sometimes  persons 
express  a  hope  in  Christ,  and  afterwards  remember  some  sin, 
that  needs  to  be  confessed  to  men,  or  some  case  where  they 
have  slandered,  or  defrauded,  where  it  is  necessary  to  make 
satisfaction,  and  where  either  their  character,  or  their  purse, 
is  so  deeply  implicated  that  they  hesitate,  and  refuse  to  per- 
form their  duty.  This  grieves  the  Spirit,  brings  darkness 
over  their  minds  of  course,  and  justly  leads  them  to  doubt 
whether  they  are  truly  converted.  If  a  soul  is  truly  convert- 
ed, it  will  generally  be  found  when  there  are  doubts,  that  on 
some  point  they  are  neglecting  duty.  They  should  be  searched 
as  with  a  lighted  candle,  and  brought  up  to  the  performance  of 
duty,  and  not  suffered  to  hope  until  they  do  it.  Ordirvarily  it 
is  proper  just  there  to  throw  in  some  plain  and  searching 
truth,  that  will  go  through  them,  something  that  ^dll  wither 
their  hopes  Hke  a  moth.  Do  it  while  the  Spirit  of  Gk)d  is 
dealing  with  them,  and  do  it  in  the  right  way,  and  there  is  no 
danger  of  its  doing  harm. 

To  illustrate  this  :  I  knew  a  person,  who  was  a  member  ol 
the  church,  but  an  abominable  hj'pocrite,  proved  to  be  so  by 
her  conduct,  and  afterwards  fully  confessed  to  be  so.  In  a 
revival  of  religion  she  was  awakened  and  deeply  convicted, 
and  after  a  while  she  got  a  hope.  She  came  to  a  minister  to 
talk  with  him  about  her  hope,  and  he  poured  in  the  ti'uth  to 
her  mind  in  such  a  manner  as  to  annihilate  all  her  hopes. 
She  then  remained  under  conviction  many  days,  and  at  last 
she  broke  out  in  hope  again.  The  minister  knew  her  tempei^ 
ament,  and  knew  what  she  needed,  and  he  tore  away  her  hope 
again.  And  then  she  broke  down,  clear  to  the  ground,  so 
that  she  could  not  stand  or  go.  So  deeply  did  the  Spii'it  of 
God  PROBE  her  heart,  that,  for  a  time,  it  took  away  all  her 
bodily  strength.  And  then  she  came  out  subdued.  Before, 
she  had  been  one  of  the  proudest  rebels  against  God's  gov- 
ernment that  ever  was,  but  now  she  became  humbled,  and 
was  one  of  tlie  most  modest,  tender,  lovely  of  Christians.  No 
doubt  that  was  just  the  way  to  deal  with  her.  It  was  just 
the  treatment  that  her  case  required. 

It  is  often  useful  to  deal  with  individuals  in  this  way.  Some 
persons  are  naturally  unamiable  in  their  temper,  and  unlovely 
in  their  deportment.  And  it  is  paiiiciilarly  important  that 
such  persons  should  be  dealt  with  most  thoroughly  whenever 


nreTBUonoNg  to  youwg  conveets.  809 

they  first  begin  to  express  hope  in  Christ.  Unless  the  work 
with  them,  is,  in  the  first  place,  uncommonly  deep  and  thor- 
ough, they  will  be  vastly  less  useful,  and  interesting,  and 
happy,  than  they  would  have  been,  had  the  probe  been  thor- 
oughly and  skilfully  appUed  to  their  hearts.  If  they  are 
eucouraged  at  first,  without  being  thoroughly  dealt  with,  if 
they  are  left  to  go  right  along,  and  not  sufficiently  probed 
and  broken  down,  these  unlovely  traits  of  character  will  remain 
Mnsubdued,  and  wiU  be  always  breaking  out  to  the  gi-eat  in- 
jui-y,  both  of  their  personal  peace,  and  their  general  influence 
and  usefulness  as  Christians. 

It  is  important  to  take  advantage  of  evLrh.  characters  while 
they  are  just  in  these  peculiar  circmnstances,  so  that  they  can 
be  moulded  into  proper  fonn.  Do  not  spare,  though  it  should 
be  a  child,  or  a  brother,  or  a  husband,  or  a  wife.  Let  it  be 
a  thorough  work.  If  they  express  a  hope,  and  you  find  they 
bear  the  image  of  Christ,  they  are  Christians.  But  if  that 
appears  doubtful — if  they  do  not  appear  to  be  fully  changed, 
just  tear  away  their  hope,  by  seai'ching  them  with  the  most 
discriminating  truth,  and  leave  the  Spiiit  to  do  the  work  more 
deeply.  If  still  the  image  is  not  perfect,  do  it  again — break 
them  down  into  a  child-like  spirit,  and  then  let  them  hope. 
They  will  then  be  clear  and  thorough  Christians.  By  such  a 
mode  of  treatment,  I  have  often  known  people  of  the  crook- 
edest  and  hat^fulest  natural  character,  so  transformed  in  a 
few  days,  that  they  appear  hke  different  beings.  You  would 
think  the  work  of  a  whole  life  of  Chi'istian  cultivation  had 
been  done  at  once.  Doubtless  this  was  the  intent  of  our 
Saviour's  dealing  with  Peter.  He  had  been  converted,  but 
became  puffed  up  with  spiritual  pride  and  self-confidence, 
and  then  he  fell  After  that,  Christ  broke  him  down  again, 
by  thi-ee  times  searching  him  with  the  inquiry,  "  Simon,  son 
of  Jona,  love-st  thou  me  ?"  after  which,  he  seems  to  have  been 
a  stable  and  devoted  saint  the  rest  of  his  days, 

3.  There  is  no  need  of  young  converts  having  or  expressing 
doubts  as  to  their  conversion.  There  is  no  more  need  of  a  per- 
son doubting  whether  he  is  now  in  favor  of  God's  govem- 
ment,  than  there  is  for  a  man  to  doubt  whether  he  is  in  fa  vol 
of  our  govermnent  or  another.  It  is,  in  fact,  on  the  face  of 
it,  absm-d,  for  a  person  to  talk  of  doubting  on  such  a  point, 
if  he  is  iiiteUigent  and  understands  what  he  is  talking  about 
It  has  long  been  supposed  to  be  a  vii*tue,  and  a  mark  of 
humihty,  for  a  person  to  doubt  whether  he  is  a  Christian,  and 
this  notion  that  there  is  viitue  in  doubting  is  a  device  of  the 
devil  "I  say,  neighbor,  are  you  in  favor  of  our  govemmeiiij 
16* 


170  ERBTRUCrnONS   TO   TOITNG   CONT-EKTrft. 

or  do  you  prefer  that  of  Russia  ?"  "  Why,  I  hare  some  hope* 
that  I  love  our  own  government,  but  I  have  many  doubts.** 
Wonderful  1  "Woman,  do  you  love  your  cMlJi-en  ?"  "  Why, 
sir,  I  sometimes  have  a  trembling  hope  that  I  love  them,  but 
you  know  the  best  have  doubts."  "  Wife,  do  you  love  your 
husband  ?"  ''^  I  do  noi  know — I  sometimes  think  I  do,  but 
you  know  the  heart  is  deceitful,  and  we  ought  to  be  careful 
and  not  be  too  confident."  Who  would  have  such  a  wife? 
"  Man  do  you  love  your  wife,  do  you  love  your  family  ?"  "Ah, 
vou  know  we  are  poor  creatures,  we  do  not  know  our  own 
hearts.  I  think  I  do  love  them,  but  perhaps  I  am  deceived." 
Ridiculous ! 

Ordinarily,  the  very  idea  of  a  person's  expressing  doubts, 
renders  his  piety  truly  doubtful,  A  real  Christian  has  no 
need  to  doubi  And  when  one  is  full  of  doubts,  ordinarily 
you  ought  to  doubt  for  him  and  help  him  doubt  Affection 
to  God  is  as  much  a  matter  of  consciousness  as  any  other  af- 
fection. A  woman  knows  she  loves  her  child  How?  By 
consciousness.  She  is  conscious  of  the  exercise  of  this  affec- 
tion. And,  then,  she  sees  it  canned  out  into  action  every  day. 
In  the  same  way  a  Christian  may  know  that  he  loves  God,  by 
his  consciousness  of  this  affection,  and  by  seeing  that  it  in- 
fluenc^es  his  daily  conduct. 

In  the  case  of  young  converts,  truly  such,  these  doubts 
generally  arise  from  their  having  been  wrongly  dealt  with, 
and  not  sufficiently  taught,  or  not  thoroughly  humbled.  In 
any  case,  they  should  never  be  left  in  such  a  state,  but  should 
be  brought,  if  possible,  to  such  a  thorough  change,  that  they 
will  doubt  no  longer.  It  is  inconsistent  with  the  greatest 
usefulness,  for  a  Christian  to  be  always  entertaining  doubts. 
It  not  only  makes  him  gloomy,  but  it  renders  his  rehgion  a 
stumbling  block  to  sinners.  What  do  sinners  think  of  such 
rehgion  ?  They  say,  "  These  converts  are  always  afraid  to 
think  they  have  got  any  thing  real  They  are  alwaj^s  trem- 
bling, and  doubting  whether  it  is  a  reality,  and  they  ought  to 
know  whether  there  is  anything  in  it  or  not ;  for  if  it  is  any- 
thing, these  people  seem  to  have  it,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think 
it  rather  doubtful  At  any  rate,  I  will  let  it  pass  for  the  pre- 
sent ;  for  I  do  not  believe  God  wiU  damn  me  for  not  attending 
to  what  appears  so  uncertain-**  No,  a  cheei-ful,  settled  hope  in 
Christ,  is  indispensable  to  usefulness,  and  therefore  you  should 
deal  so  with  young  converts,  as  to  lead  them  to  a  consistent, 
well-grounded,  stable  hopa  Ordinarily  this  may  be  done,  if 
pursued  wisely,  at  the  proper  time,  and  that  is  at  the  com- 
mencement uf  their  religious  life  And  they  should  not  bti 
left  till  it  ijB  done. 


nrsTRucnoNS  to  young  contbbts.  SYl 

I  know  there  are  some  exceptions  ;  there  are  cases  where 
the  best  instructions  will  be  ineffectual,  but  these  generally 
depend  on  the  state  of  the  health,  and  the  condition  of  the 
nervous  system.  Sometimes  you  find  a.  person  incapable  of 
reasoning  on  a  certain  topic,  and  so  their  errors  will  not  yield 
to  instruction.  But  most  commonly  they  mistake  the  state 
of  their  own  hearts,  because  they  judge  under  the  influence 
of  a  physical  disease.  Sometimes  persons  under  a  nervous 
depression  will  go  almost  into  despair.  I  will  not  take  time 
now  to  show  the  connection,  but  persons  who  are  acquainted 
with  physiology  will  easily  explain  the  matter,  and  this  will 
make  it  plain  that  the  only  way  to  deal  with  such  cases  is 
first  to  recruit  their  health,  and  get  their  nervous  system  in  a 
proi>er  tone,  and  thus  remove  the  physical  cause  of  their 
gloom  and  depression,  and  then  they  will  be  able  to  receive 
and  apply  your  instructions  to  the  state  of  their  minds.  But 
if  you  cannot  remove  their  gloom  and  doubts  and  fears  in  this 
wajj  yo^  can  at  least  avoid  doing  any  positive  harm,  by  giv- 
ing them  wrong  instructions.  I  have  known  even  experi- 
enced Christians  to  have  the  error  fastened  upon  them, 
thinking  it  was  necessary,  or  was  virtuous,  or  a  mark  of  humilir 
ty  to  be  always  in  doubt,  and  Satan  would  take  advantage  of 
it,  and  of  the  state  of  their  health,  to  drive  them  almost  into 
despair.  You  ought  to  guard  against  this,  by  avoiding  the 
srror  in  teaching  young  converts.  Teach  them  that  instead 
of  there  being  any  virtue  in  doubting,  it  is  a  sin  to  have  any 
reason  to  doubt,  and  a  sin  if  they  doubt  without  any  reason, 
and  a  sin  to  be  gloomy,  and  disgust  sinners  with  tiieir  des- 
pondency. And  if  you  teach  them  thoroughly  what  religion 
is,  and  make  them  SEE  CLEAKLY  what  God  wishes  to  have 
them  do,  and  lead  them  to  do  it  promptly  and  decidedly,  ordi- 
narily they  will  not  be  harassed  with  doubts  and  fears,  but 
will  be  clear,  open-hearted,  cheerful  and  growing  Christians,  an 
honor  to  the  religion  they  profess,  and  a  blessing  to  the  church 
and  the  world 

EL  I  proceed  to  mention  some  things  worthy  of  considera' 
tion  in  regjird  to  their  making  a  profession  of  religion,  or 
joinuig  the  church. 

1.  Young  convei-ts  should,  ordinarily,  offer  themselves  for 
admission  to  some  church  of  Christ  immediately.  By  inmiedi- 
ately,  I  mean  that  they  should  do  it  the  firsi  opportunity 
they  have.  They  should  not  xcait.  If  they  set  out  in  re- 
ligion by  waiting,  most  likely  they  will  always  be  waiting, 
and  never  do  anytliing  to  much  purpose.  If  they  are 
taugfht   to  wait   under   conviction,  before   they   give   them 


S72  orsTRUcrioNs  to  young  converts, 

selves  up  to  Christ,  or  if  they  are  taught  to  wait  after 
conversion,  before  they  give  themselves  publicly  to  God,  by 
joining  the  church,  they  will  probably  go  halting  and  stum« 
bling  along  through  Hfe.  The  first  thing  they  should  be  taught, 
always  is,  Never  to  wait  where  God  has  pointed  out  youb 
DUTY.  We  profess  to  have  given  up  the  waiting  system,  let 
us  carry  it  through  and  be  consistent. 

While  I  say  it  is  the  duty  of  young  converts  to  offer  them^ 
selves  to  the  church  immediately,  I  do  not  say  that  they 
should,  in  all  cases,  be  received  immediately.  But  the  church 
may,  and  have  an  undoubted  right  to  assume  the  responsibil- 
ity of  receiving  them  immediately  or  not  If  the  church  are 
not  satisfied  in  the  case,  they  have  the  power  to  bid  candi- 
dates wait  till  they  can  make  inquiries,  or  in  any  other  way 
obtain  satisfaction,  as  to  their  character  and  their  sincerity. 
This  is  more  necessary  in  large  cities  than  it  is  in  the  country, 
because  the  church  is  Hable  to  receive  so  many  appHcations 
from  persons  that  are  entire  strangers,  where  it  is  necessary 
to  make  inquiries  before  admitting  them  to  communion.  But 
if  the  church  think  it  necessary  to  postpone  an  applicant,  the 
responsibihty  is  not  his.  He  has  not  postponed  obedience  to 
the  dying  command  of  Christ,  and  so  he  has  not  grieved  the 
Spirit  away,  and  so  he  may  not  be  essentially  injiu-ed  if  he  is 
faithful  in  other  respects.  Whereas,  if  he  had  neglected  the 
duty  voluntarily,  he  would  soon  get  into  the  darl^  and  very 
likely  backslide. 

If  there  is  no  particular  reason  for  delay,  ordinarily  the 
church  ought  to  receive  them  when  they  apply.  If  they  are 
sufficiently  instructed  on  the  subject  of  religion  to  know  what 
they  are  doing,  and  if  their  general  character  is  such  that 
they  can  be  trusted  as  to  their  sincerity  and  honesty  in  mak- 
ing a  profession,  I  see  no  reason  why  they  should  delay.  But 
if  there  are  sufficient  reasons,  in  view  of  the  church,  for  mak- 
ing them  wait  a  reasonable  time,  let  them  do  it,  on  their  re- 
sponsibility to  Jesus  Christ.  They  should,  however,  remem- 
ber, what  is  the  responsibility  they  assume,  and  that  if  they 
keep  those  out  of  the  church  who  ought  to  be  in  it,  they  sin, 
and  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit 

It  is  impossible  to  lay  down  particular  rules  on  this  subject^ 
applicable  to  all  cases.  There  is  so  great  a  variety  of  reasons 
wluch  may  warrant  keeping  persons  back,  that  no  generaj 
rules  can  reach  them  all.  Our  practice,  in  this  church,  is  to 
propound  persons  for  a  month  after  they  make  apphcAtion, 
before  they  are  received  to  full  communion.  The  reason  of 
this  is,  that  the  Session  may  have  opportunity  to  inquire  re- 


r»r8TiiucnoN8  to  young  converts.  878 

epecting  individuals  who  offer  themselves,  as  so  many  of  them 
are  strangers.  But  in  the  country,  where  there  are  regular 
congi-egations,  and  all  the  people  have  been  instructed  from 
their  youth  in  the  doctrines  of  rehgion,  and  where  everj^body 
is  perfectly  kno^vn,  the  case  is  different,  and  ordinaiily  I  see 
no  reason  why  persons  of  fair  character  should  not  be  admit- 
ted immediately.  If  a  person  has  not  been  a  drunkard,  or 
otherwise  of  bad  character,  let  him  be  admitted  at  once,  as 
Boon  as  he  can  give  a  rational  and  satisfactory  account  of  the 
hope  that  is  in  him. 

That  is  evidently  the  way  the  apostles  did.  There  is  not 
the  least  evidence  in  the  New  Testament,  that  they  ever  put 
off  a  person  that  wanted  to  be  baptized  and  join  the  church. 
I  know  this  does  not  satisfy  some  people,  because  they  think 
the  case  is  different  But  I  do  not  see  it  so.  They  say  the 
apostles  were  inspired.  That  is  true  ;  but  it  does  not  follow 
that  they  were  iaspu-ed  to  read  the  characters  of  men,  so  as  to 

Erevent  their  malnng  mistakes  m.  this  matter.  On  the  other 
and,  we  know  they  were  not  hispired  in  this  way,  for  we  know 
they  did  make  mistakes,  just  as  ministers  may  do  now,  and, 
therefore,  it  is  not  true  that  their  being  inspired  men  alters 
tlie  case  on  this  point.  Simon  Magus  was  supposed  to  be 
a  Christian,  and  was  baptised  and  admitted  to  the  commu- 
nion, and  remained  in  good  standing  till  he  undertook  to  pur- 
chase the  Holy  Ghost  with  money.  The  apostles  used  to  admit 
converts  from  Heathenism  immediately,  and  without  delay. 
If  they  could  receive  persons  who,  perhaps,  never  heard  more 
than  one  Gospel  sermon,  and  who  never  had  a  Bible,  nor  at- 
tended a  Sabbath-school  or  Bible-class  in  their  hves,  surely  it 
is  not  necessaiy  to  wake  up  such  an  outcry  and  alarm,  if  a 
church  thinks  proper  to  receive  persons  of  fair  character  who 
have  had  the  Bible  all  their  hves,  and  been  trained  in  the 
Sabbath-school,  and  sat  under  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel, 
and  who,  therefore,  may  be  supposed  to  understand  what  iiiey 
are  about,  and  not  to  profess  what  they  do  not  feel 

I  know  it  may  be  said  that  persons  who  make  a  profession 
of  religion  now,  are  not  obliged  to  make  such  sacrifices  for 
their  religion  as  the  early  believers  were,  pnd,  consequently, 
people  may  be  more  ready  to  play  the  h^'pocrite.  And,  to 
some  extent,  that  is  true.  But  then,  on  the  other  hand,  it 
should  be  remembered,  that,  with  the  instructions  which  they 
have  on  the  subject  oJf  religion,  they  are  not  so  easily  led  to 
deceive  themselves,  as  those  who  were  converted  without  the 
previous  advantages  of  a  religious  education.  They  may  be 
strongly  tempted  to  deceive  othec3,  but  I  insist  upon  it,  tJiat, 


aH  iKSTiitronoNS  to  yoxtsg  convkeis. 

with  the  mstrnctioiis  which  they  have  received,  the  converts 

of  these  great  revivals  are  not  half  so  liable  to  deceive  them- 
selves, and  take  up  with  a  false  hope,  as  they  were  m  the  days 
of  the  apostles.  And  on  this  ground  I  beheve  that  those 
churches  who  are  faithful  in  dealiag  with  young  converts,  and 
who  exhibit  habitually  the  power  of  religion,  are  not  likely  to 
receive  so  many  unconverted  persons,  as  the  apostles  did. 

It  is  important  that  the  churches  should  act  wisely  on  this 
point.  Great  evil  has  been  done  by  this  practice  of  keeping 
persons  out  of  the  church  a  long  time  to  see  if  they  were 
Christians.  This  is  almost  as  absurd  as  it  would  be  to  tlirow 
out  a  young  child  into  the  street,  to  see  whether  it  will  live 
to  say,  if  it  lives  and  promises  to  be  a  healthy  child,  we  wili 
take  care  of  it,  when  that  is  the  very  time  it  wants  nursing, 
and  taldng  care  of,  at  the  moment  when  the  scale  is  turning, 
whether  it  shall  live  or  dia  Is  that  the  way  to  deal  with 
young  converts?  Should  the  church  throw  her  new-bom 
children  out  to  the  winds,  and  say,  if  they  Hve  there,  let  them 
be  raised  ;  but  if  they  die,  they  ought  to  die.  I  have  not  a 
doubt  that  thousands  of  converts,  in  consequence  of  this  treat- 
ment, have  gone  through  life,  and  never  have  joined  any 
church,  but  have  lingered  along,  full  of  doubts,  and  fears,  and 
darkness,  and  in  this  way  have  spent  their  days,  and  gone  to 
the  grave  without  the  comforts  or  the  usefulness  which  they 
might  have  enjoyed,  simply  because  the  church,  in  her  folly, 
has  suffered  them  to  wait  outside  of  the  pale,  to  see  whether 
they  would  grow  and  thrive,  without  those  ordinaaices  which 
Jesus  Christ  established  particularly  for  then-  benefit. 

Jesus  Christ  says  to  his  church,  "  Here,  take  these  lambs, 
and  feed  them,  and  shelter  them  and  watch  over  them,  and 
protect  them  : "  and  what  does  the  chui'ch  do  ?  Why,  turn 
them  out  alone  upon  the  cold  mountains,  among  the  wild 
beasts,  to  starve  or  perish,  to  see  whether  they  are  ahve  or  not 
This  whole  system  is  as  imphilosophical  as  it  is  unscripturaL 
Did  Jesus  Christ  tell  his  churches  to  do  so  ?  Did  the  God  of 
Abraham  teach  any  such  doctrine  as  this,  in  regard  to  the 
children  of  Abraham  ?  Never.  He  never  taught  us  to  treat 
young  converts  in  such  a  barbarous  manner.  It  is  the  very 
best  way  that  could  be  taken  to  render  it  doubtful  whether 
ihcy  are  converts.  The  very  way  to  lead  them  into  doubts 
and  darkness,  is  to  keep  them  away  from  the  church,  from  its 
fellowship,  and  its  ordinances. 

I  have  understood  there  is  a  church,  not  very  far  from  herOp 
who  have  passed  a  resolution  that  no  young  convei*ts  shall  be 
admitted  till  they  have  had  a  hope  for  at  least  six  months. 


nrsTEucnows  to  young  convebts.  876 

Where  did  they  get  any  snch  rule  ?    Not  from  the  Bible,  noi 

the  example  of  the  eai'ly  churches. 

3.  In  examining  yoimg  converts  hr  admission  to  the  church, 
theii'  consciences  should  not  be  ensnared  by  examining  them 
too  extensively  or  miQutely  on  doctrinal  jmyUs.  From  the  man- 
ner in  which  examinations  are  conducted  in  some  churches, 
it  would  seem  as  if  they  expected  that  young  converts  would 
be  all  at  once  acquainted  with  the  whole  system  of  divinity, 
and  able  to  answer  every  puzzling  question  in  theology.  The 
effect  of  it  is,  that  young  converts  are  perplexed  and  confused, 
and  give  their  assent  to  things  they  do  not  understand,  and 
thus  their  conscience  is  ensnared,  and  consequently  weakened. 
Why,  one  great  design  of  recei™g  young  converts  into  the 
church,  is  to  teach  them  doctrines,  but  if  they  are  to  be  kept 
out  of  the  church  till  they  understand  the  whole  system  of 
doctrines,  this  end  is  defeated.  Will  you  keep  them  out  till 
one  main  design  of  receiving  them  is  accomplished  by  other 
aiieans  ?  It  is  absurd.  There  are  certain  cardinal  doctrines 
01  Christianity,  which  are  embraced  in  the  experience  of  every 
true  convert.  And  these,  young  converts  will  testify  to,  on 
their  examination,  if  they  are  questioned  in  such  a  way  aa 
to  draw  out  their  knowledge,  and  not  in  such  a  way  as  to 
puzzle  and  confound  them.  The  questions  should  be  such,  as 
are  calculated  to  di*aw  out  from  them  what  they  have  learned 
by  experience,  and  not  what  they  may  have  got  in  theory  be- 
fore or  since  their  conversion.  The  object  is,  not  to  find  out  how 
much  they  know,  or  how  good  scholars  they  are  in  divinity, 
as  you  would  examine  a  school,  or  a  number  of  young  men 
striving  for  a  premium.  It  is  to  find  out  whether  they  have  a 
change  of  heart,  to  learn  whether  they  have  experienced  the 
great  truths  of  reHgion  by  their  power  in  their  own  souls. 
You  see  therefore  how  absurd,  and  injurious  too,  it  must  be, 
to  examine  as  is  sometimes  done,  like  a  law^^er  at  the  bar, 
cross-examining  a  suspicious  witness.  It  should  rather  be 
like  a  faithful  physician  anxious  to  find  out  his  patient's  true 
condition,  and  therefore  leading  his  mind,  by  inquiries  and 
hints,  to  chsclose  the  real  symptoms  of  his  case. 

You  will  always  find,  if  you  put  your  questions  right,  that 
real  converts  will  see  clearly  those  great  fundamental  points, 
the  divine  authority  of  the  scriptures,  the  necessity  of  the  in- 
fluences of  the  Holy  Spmt,  the  divinity  of  Christ,  the  doctrine 
of  total  depravity  and  regeneration,  the  necessity  of  the  atone- 
ment, justification  by  faith,  and  the  justice  of  the  eternal  pun- 
ishment of  the  wicked.  By  a  proper  course  of  inquiries  yon 
will  find  aU  these  points  come  out,  as  a  part  of  their  expeii- 


•76  EWSTRUCnONS   TO    YOUNG   CONVERTS. 

ence,  if  you  put  your  questions  in  such  a  way  that  they  mi 
derstand  them. 

A  church  session  in  this  city  have,  as  we  are  informed, 
passed  a  vote,  that  no  person  shall  join  that  church  till  he 
will  give  his  assent  to  the  whole  Presbyterian  Confession  of 
Faith,  and  adopt  it  as  his  "  rule  of  faith  and  practice  and 
Christian  obedience.  That  is,  they  must  read  the  book 
through,  which  is  about  three  times  as  large  as  this  hymn- 
book,  and  must  understand  it,  and  agree  to  it  all,  before  they 
can  be  admitted  to  the  church,  before  they  can  make  a  pro- 
fession of  reHgion,  or  obey  the  command  of  Christ.  By  what 
authority  does  a  church  say  that  no  one  shaU  join  their  com- 
munion till  he  understands  all  the  points  and  technicalities 
of  this  long  confession  of  faith  ?  Is  that  their  charity,  to  cram 
this  whole  confession  of  faith  down  the  throat  of  a  young  con- 
vert, before  they  let  him  so  much  as  come  to  the  communion? 
He  says,  "  I  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  wish  to  obey  his 
command"  "Very  well,  but  do  you  understand  and  adopt 
the  confession  of  faith  ? "  He  says,  "  I  do  not  know,  for  I 
never  read  that,  but  I  have  read  the  Bible,  and  I  love  that, 
and  wish  to  follow  the  dii-ections  in  it,  and  to  come  to  the 
table  of  the  Lord,"  "Do  you  love  the  confession  of  faith?  K 
not  YOU  SHALL  NOT  COME,"  is  the  reply  of  this  charitable  session, 
"  you  shall  not  sit  down  at  the  Lord's  table,  till  you  have 
adopted  aU  this  confession  of  faith."  Did  Jesus  Christ  ever 
authorise  a  church  session  to  say  this — to  teU  that  child  of 
God,  who  stands  there  with  tears,  and  asks  permission  to 
obey  his  Lord,  and  who  understands  the  grounds  of  his  faith, 
and  can  give  a  satisfactory  reason  of  his  hope,  to  tell  him  he 
cannot  join  the  church  till  he  understands  the  confession  of 
faith  ?  No  doubt,  Jesus  Christ  is  angry  with  such  a  church, 
and  he  will  show  his  displeasure  in  a  way  that  admits  of  no 
mistake,  if  they  do  not  repent.  Shut  the  door  against  young 
converts  till  they  swallow  the  confession  of  faith  1  And  wiD 
such  a  church  prosper  ?     Never. 

No  church  on  earth  has  a  right  to  impose  its  extended  con- 
fession of  faith  on  a  young  convert,  who  admits  the  funda- 
mentals of  religion.  They  may  let  the  young  convert  know 
their  own  faith  on  ever  so  many  points,  and  they  may  exam- 
ine him,  if  they  think  it  necessary,  as  to  his  belief  ;  but  sup- 
pose he  has  doubts  on  some  points  not  essential  to  Christian 
experience,  as  the  doctrine  of  Infant  Baptism,  or  of  Election, 
or  the  Perseverance  of  the  Saints,  and  suppose  he  honestly 
and  frankly  teUs  you  he  has  not  made  up  his  mind  concerning 
these  points.     Has  any  minister  or  church  a  right  to  say,  he 


tWSTRUOnONS   TO   TOTING    COmTEETB.  9*f1 

shall  not  come  to  the  Lord's  table  till  he  has  finished  all  his 
researches  into  these  subjects  ?  That  he  shall  not  obey  Jesug 
Christ  till  he  has  fully  made  up  his  mind  on  every  such  point 
on  which  Christians,  and  devoted  ones  too,  differ  among  thenar 
selves  ?  I  would  sooner  cut  ofl'  my  right  hand  than  debar  a 
convert  imder  such  cii'cumstances.  I  would  teach  a  young 
convert  as  well  as  I  could  in  the  time  before  he  made  his  ap- 
plication, and  I  would  examine  him  canchdly  as  to  his  views, 
and  after  he  was  in  the  church,  I  would  endeavor  to  make 
him  grow  in  knowledge  as  he  grows  in  gi'ace.  And  by  just 
as  much  confidence  as  I  have  that  my  own  doctrines  are  the 
doctrines  of  God,  I  should  expect  to  make  him  adopt  them, 
if  I  could  have  a  fair  heaiing  before  his  mind.  But  I  never 
would  bid  one,  whom  I  charitably  believed  to  be  a  child  of 
God,  to  stay  away  fi*om  his  Father's  table,  because  he  did  not 
see  all  I  see,  or  beheve  all  I  beheve,  tlirough  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  divinity.  The  thing  is  utterly  irrational,  ridiculous, 
and  wicked. 

4.  Sometimes  persons  who  are  knowTi  to  entertain  a  hope 
d<ire  not  make  a  profession  of  rehgion  for  fear  they  should  be 
deceived.  I  would  always  deal  decidedly  with  such  cases.  A 
hope  that  will  not  warrant  a  profession  of  religion  is  mani- 
festly worse  than  no  hope,  and  the  sooner  it  is  torn  away  the 
better.  Shall  a  man  hope  he  loves  God,  and  yet  not  dare 
obey  Jesus  Christ  ?  Preposterous  I  Such  a  hope  had  better 
be  given  up  at  once. 

6.  Sometimes  persons  professing  to  be  converts  will  make 
an  excuse  for  not  joining  the  church,  that  they  can  enjoy  re- 
hgioa  just  as  well  without  it.  This  is  always  suspicious.  I 
should  look  out  for  such  characters.  It  is  almost  certain  they 
have  no  religion.  Ordinarily,  if  a  person  does  not  desire  to 
be  associated  with  the  people  of  God,  he  is  rotten  at  the  bot- 
tom. It  is  because  he  wants  to  keep  out  of  the  responsibili- 
ties of  a  pubHc  profession.  He  has  a  feeling  witliin  him  that 
he  had  rather  be  free,  so  that  he  can  by  and  by  go  back  to  the 
world  again  if  he  likes,  without  tlie  reproach  of  instability  or 
hypocrisy.  Enjoy  religion  just  as  weU  without  obeying  Jesus 
Clmst  I  It  is  false  on  the  face  of  it  He  overlooks  the  fact 
ihat  rehgion  consists  in  obeying  Jesus  Chiist. 

TIT.  I  am  to  consider  the  importance  of  giving  right  in- 
struction to  yoimg  converts. 

Ordinarily,  their  Christiiin  character  through  life  is  moulded 
and  fashioned  according  to  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
dealt  with  when  fii'st  converted-  There  are  many  who  have 
beeji  poorly  taught  at  first,  but  have  been  afterward  <a  rp-mv. 


t78  rasTBucnoNs  to  yottsq  coitvekts. 

wrtedf  and  if  they  are  then  dealt  with  properly,  tliey  may  be 
made  something  of.  But  the  proper  tune  to  do  this  is  whon 
they  are  first  broupfht  in,  when  their  minds  are  soft  and  ten 
der,  and  easily  yield  to  the  truth.  Then  they  may  be  led  with 
a  hah*,  if  they  think  it  is  the  truth  of  God.  And  whatever 
notions  in  religion  they  get  then  they  are  apt  to  cleave  to  for 
ever  afterwarcfi.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  get  away  a  man's 
notions  that  he  got  when  he  was  a  young  convert  You  may 
reason  him  dovm,  but  he  cleaves  to  them.  How  often  is  it 
the  case  where  persons  have  been  taught  certain  things  when 
first  converted,  that  if  they  afterwards  get  a  new  minister, 
who  teaches  somewhat  differently,  they  will  rise  up  against 
him,  as  if  he  were  going  to  subvert  the  faith  and  cai> 
ry  away  the  church  into  error,  and  throw  everything  mto 
confusion.  Thus  you  see  that  young  converts  are  tha^own 
into  the  hands  of  the  churcJbi,  and  it  depends  on  the  church 
to  mould  them,  and  form  them  into  Christians  of  the  right 
stamp.  Much  of  their  future  comfort  and  usefulness  depends 
on  the  manner  in  which  they  are  instructed  at  the  outset. 
The  future  character  of  the  church,  the  progress  of  revivals, 
the  coming  of  the  millennium,  depend  on  having  right  instruc- 
tion given,  and  a  right  direction  of  thought  and  life  to  those 
who  are  young  converts. 

rV.  I  am  to  mention  some  things  which  should  not  be  tccughi 
to  young  converts. 

1.  "  You  will  not  always  feel  as  you  do  now.**  When  the 
young  convert  is  rejoicing  in  his  Saviour,  and  calculating  to 
live  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  mankind,  how  often 
is  he  met  with  this  reply,  "You  wiU  not  always  feel  so." 
Thus  preparing  his  mind  to  expect  that  he  shall  backslide, 
and  not  to  be  much  surprised  when  he  does.  This  is  just  the 
way  the  devil  wants  young  converts  dealt  with,  to  have  old 
Christians  teU  them,  your  feehngs  will  not  last,  and  that  by 
and  by  you  will  be  as  cold  as  we  are.  It  has  made  my  heart 
bleed  to  see  it.  \\nien  the  young  convert  has  been  pouring 
out  his  warm  heart  to  some  old  professor,  and  expecting  to 
meet  the  warm  burstings  of  a  kmdred  spirit  responding  to 
his  own,  what  does  he  meet  with  ?  This  cold  answer,  coming 
like  a  northern  blast  over  his  soul,  "  You  vnll  not  always  feel 
so."  SHAME !  Just  preparing  the  yoimg  converi  to  expect 
that  he  shaU  backslide  as  a  matter  of  course  ;  so  that  when 
he  begins  to  decline,  as  under  the  very  inlluences  of  this  in- 
struction it  is  most  likely  he  will,  it  produces  no  surprise  oi 
alarm  in  his  mind,  but  he  looks  at  it  just  as  a  thing  of  course, 
doing  as  everybody  else  does. 


nfBTETOnO'N'S    TO    YOUNG    CONTKRTB.  ttf 

I  have  heard  it  preached  as  well  as  prayed-  that  seaaona  d 
backslitling  are  necessary  to  test  the  chiirch.  They  aay, 
"  when  it  rains,  you  cau  find  water  anywhere  ;  it  is  only  in 
seas()ns  of  di'ought  that  you  can  tell  where  the  deep  springs 
are."  Wonderful  logic  I  And  so  you  would  teach  that  Chn* 
tians  must  get  cold  and  stupid,  and  backshde  from  God,  and 
for  what  reason  ?  Why,  forsooth,  to  show  that  they  sire  not 
hypocrites.  Amazing  1  You  would  prove  that  they  are  hyp- 
ocrites in  order  to  show  that  they  are  not. 

Such  doctrine  as  this  is  the  very  last  that  should  be  taught 
to  young  converts.  They  should  be  told  that  now  they  have 
only  begun  the  Christian  life,  and  that  their  rehgion  is  to  con- 
sist in  going  on  in  it  They  should  be  taught  to  go  forward 
all  the  time,  and  grow  in  grace  continually.  Do  not  teach 
them  to  taper  off  their  rehgion,  let  it  grow  smaller  and 
smaller  till  it  comes  to  a  point.  God  says,  "  The  path  of  the 
just  is  as  the  shining  Ught,  that  shineth  more  nnd  more  to 
the  perfect  day."  Now  whose  path  is  that  which  grows  dim- 
mer and  dimmer  until  the  perfect  night  ?  They  should  be 
brought  to  such  a  state  of  mind  that  the  first  indications  of 
decay  in  spirituahty  or  zeal  will  alarm  them  and  spur  them 
up  to  duty.  There  is  no  need  that  young  converts  should 
backshde  as  they  do.  Paul  did  not  backshde.  And  I  do 
not  doubt  that  this  very  doctrine,  "  You  will  not  always  feel 
so,"  is  one  of  the  grand  devices  of  Satan  to  bring  about  the 
result  which  it  predicts. 

2.  "Learn  to  walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight"  This  is 
sometimes  said  to  young  converts  in  reference  to  their  con- 
tinuing to  exhibit  the  power  of  rehgion,  and  is  a  manifest  per- 
version of  Scripture.  If  they  begin  to  lose  their  faith  and 
zeal,  and  to  get  into  darkness,  some  old  professor  will  teU 
them,  "  Ah,  you  cannot  expect  to  have  the  Saviour  always 
with  you,  you  have  been  walking  by  sight,  you  must  learn  to 
walk  by  faith  and  not  by  sight"  That  is,  you  must  learn  to 
get  as  cold  as  death,  and  then  hang  on  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
Saints'  Perseverance,  as  your  only  ground  of  hope  that  you 
shall  be  saved-  And  that  is  walling  by  faith.  Cease  to  per- 
severe^  and  then  hold  on  to  the  doctrine  of  perseverance.  "One 
of  gmlt's  blimders,  and  the  loudest  laugh  of  hell."  And  hv- 
ing  in  the  enjoyment  of  God's  favor  and  the  comforts  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  they  caU  walking  by  sight  I  Do  you  suppose 
young  convei-ts  see  the  Saviour  at  the  time  they  beheve  on 
him  ?  When  they  are  so  full  of  the  enjoyments  of  heaven, 
do  you  suppose  they  see  heaven,  and  so  walk  by  sight  ?  It  is 
AbswT^  on  the  face  of  it     It  is  not  faith,  it  is  presunifftioix. 


t60  nrsTBucnoNs  to  young  conthets. 

that  makes  a  backslider  hold  on  to  the  doctrine  oi  persever- 
ance, as  if  that  would  save  him,  without  any  sensible  exercise 
of  godliness  in  his  soul.  Those  who  attempt  to  walk  by  faitb 
in  this  way  had  better  take  care,  or  they  will  walk  into  hell 
with  their  faith.  Faith  indeed!  Faith  without  works  is 
dead.     Can  dead  faith  make  the  soul  hve  ? 

3.  "Wait  till  you  see  whether  you  can  hold  out"  When 
a  young  convert  feels  zealous  and  warm-hearted,  and  wants 
to  lay  himseK  out  for  God,  some  prudent  old  professor  will 
caution  him  not  to  go  too  fast.  "  You  had  better  not  be  too 
forward  in  religion,  till  you  see  whether  you  can  hold  out ; 
for  if  you  take  this  high  ground  and  then  fall,  you  will  dis- 
grace religion."  That  is,  in  plain  Enghsh,  "  Do  not  do  any- 
thing that  constitutes  rehgion,  till  you  see  whether  you  have 
religion."  Religion  consists  in  obeying  God-  Now  these 
wise  teachers  tell  a  young  convert,  "  Do  not  obey  God  till 
you  see" — what  ? — till  you  see  whether  you  have  obeyed  him — 
or^  till  you  see  whether  you  have  gotten  that  substance,  that 
mysterious  thing  which  they  imagine  is  created  and  put  into 
a  man,  Hke  a  lump  of  new  flesh,  and  called  religion.  This  wait- 
iog  system  is  aU  alike,  and  all  wrong.  Tliere  is  no  Sciipture 
warrant  for  telling  a  person  to  wait,  when  the  command  of 
God  is  upon  him  and  the  path  of  duty  before  him.  Let  him 
go  along. 

Young  converts  should  be  fully  taught  that  this  is  the  only 
consistent  way  to  find  out  whether  they  have  any  religion. — 
The  only  evidence  they  can  have  is  to  find  that  they  are 
heai'tily  engaged  in  doing  the  will  of  God.  To  tell  him  to 
wait,  therefore,  before  he  does  these  things,  tiQ  he  gets  his  evi- 
dence, is  reversing  the  matter,  and  is  absurd. 

4.  "  Wait  till  you  get  strength,  before  you  take  up  the 
cross."  This  is  apphed  to  various  religious  duties.  Some- 
times it  is  apphed  to  prayer,  just  as  if  prayer  was  a  cross. 
But  I  have  known  young  converts  advised  not  to  attempt  to 
pray  in  their  families,  or  not  to  attempt  quite  yet  to  pray  in 
meetings  and  social  circles.  "Wait  tiU  you  get  strength.** 
Just  as  if  they  would  get  strength  without  exercise.  Strength 
eomes  by  exercise.  You  cannot  get  strength  by  lying  stilL 
Let  a  child  he  in  the  cradle  all  his  life,  and  he  would  never 
have  any  strength,  he  might  gi'ow  in  size,  but  he  never  could 
be  any  thiug  more  tlian  a  great  baby.  This  is  a  law  of  na- 
ture. There  is  no  substitute  for  exercise  in  producing  strength. 
The  body  as  every  one  knows,  can  be  strengthened  only  by 
exercise.  It  is  so  in  the  nature  of  things.  And  it  is  just  so 
with  the  mind.     It  is  so  with  the  affections,  so  with  the  jud^ 


EWSTKUCnONS   TO    YOUNG    CONTEHTft.  991 

ment,  so  with  conscience.  All  the  powers  of  the  soul  are 
Btrengtheu  ed  })y  exercise.  I  need  not  now  enter  into  the  philoso- 
phy of  this.  Every  body  knows  it  is  so.  If  the  mind  is  not 
exercised,  the  brain  will  not  grow,  and  the  man  will  become 
an  idiot  If  the  affections  are  not  exercised  he  will  become  a 
stoic  To  talk  to  a  convert  about  neglecting  Christian  action 
tin  he  gets  strength,  is  absurd  If  he  wants  to  gain  strength, 
let  him  go  to  work. 

5.  Yoimg  converts  should  not  he  made  sectarian  in  their  feel- 
ings. They  should  not  be  taught  to  dwell  upon  sectarian  dis- 
tinctions, or  to  be  stickhsh  about  sectarian  points.  They 
\)ught  to  examine  these  points,  at  a  proper  time,  and  in  a 
proper  way,  and  make  up  their  minds  for  themselves,  accord- 
ing to  their  imix)rtance.  But  they  should  not  be  taught  to 
dwell  upon  them,  or  to  make  much  of  them  in  the  outset  of 
their  rehgious  life.  Otherwise  there  is  great  danger  that  their 
whole  religion  will  run  into  sectarianism.  I  have  seen  some 
most  sad  and  melancholy  exhibitions  of  the  effects  of  this  up- 
on young  convert  s.  And  whenever  I  see  professed  converts 
taking  a  strong  hold  of  sectarian  pecuhjirities,  no  matter  of 
what  denomination  of  Christians,  I  always  feel  in  doubt 
about  them.  Wlien  I  hear  them  asking,  "  Do  you  beheve  in 
the  doctrine  of  election?"  or,  "Do  you  believe  in  sprink- 
ling ?"  or,  "  Do  you  beheve  in  plunging  ?"  I  feel  sad.  I  never 
knew  Efuch  converts  to  be  worth  much.  Their  sectarian  zeal 
soon  sours  their  feehngs,  eats  out  all  the  heart  of  their  re- 
Hgion,  and  moulds  their  whole  character  into  sinful  sectarian 
bigotry.  They  generally  become  mighty  zealous  for  the  tra- 
ditions of  the  elders,  and  very  httle  concerned  for  the  salva- 
tion of  souls. 

V.  I  proceed  to  mention  some  of  the  things  which  it  is  im- 
portant should  be  taught  to  young  converts. 

1.  One  of  the  first  things  young  converts  should  be  taught  is 
to  distinguish  between  emotion  and  principle  in  religion.  Do 
you  understand  mo  ?  I  am  going  to  explain  what  I  mean,  but 
I  want  you  to  get  hold  of  the  words,  and  have  them  fixed  in 
your  mind.  What  I  want  is  to  have  you  distinguish  between 
emotion  and  principle. 

By  emotion,  I  mean  that  state  of  mind  of  which  we  are 
conscious,  and  which  we  caM  feeling,  an  involuntary  state  of 
mind,  that  arises  of  course  when  we  are  in  certaia  circunv 
stances  or  under  certiiin  infiuences.  There  may  be  high- 
wrought  feelings,  or  they  may  subside  into  tranquillity,  or 
disappear  entii-ely.  But  tliese  emotions  should  be  carefully 
.iifitiLu^mshed  from  reJigrJous  principle     By  princitJe  I  do  ooi 


MS  DfSTRUCnONS   TO   YOUNG   CONVBBTS. 

mesm  any  enibstaiice  or  root  or  seed  or  sprout  implanted  in 
the  soul  But  I  mean  the  voluntary  decision  of  the  mind,  the 
firm  determination  to  act  out  duty  and  to  obey  the  will  of 
Gbd,  by  which  a  Christian  should  always  be  governed.  When 
a  man  is  fuUy  determined  to  obey  God,  because  it  is  RIGHT 
that  he  should  obey  God,  I  call  that  principle.  Whether  he 
feels  any  Hvely  rehgious  emotion  at  the  time  or  not,  he  will 
do  his  duty  cheerfuUy,  and  readily,  and  heartily,  whatever 
may  be  the  state  of  his  feelings.  This  is  acting  upon  piTaci- 
ple,  and  not  from  emotion.  Many  young  converts  have  mis- 
taken views  upon  this  subject,  and  depend  almost  entirely 
upon  the  state  of  their  feehngs  to  go  forward  in  duty.  Some 
will  not  lead  in  a  prayer  meeting,  miless  they  fed  as  if  they 
could  make  an  eloquent  prayer.  Multitudes  are  influenced 
almost  entirely  by  their  emotions,  and  they  give  way  to  this, 
as  if  they  thought  themselves  under  no  obhgation  to  duty  un- 
less urged  on  by  some  strong  emotion.  They  will  be  very 
zealous  m.  religion  when  they  feel  hke  it,  when  their  emotions 
are  warm  and  Hvely,  but  they  vdll  not  act  out  rehgion  con- 
sistently, and  carry  it  into  aU  the  concerns  of  life.  They  are 
rehgious  only  as  they  are  impelled  by  a  gush  of  feeling.  But 
this  is  not  true  rehgion. 

Young  converts  should  be  carefully  taught,  when  duty  is 
before  them  to  do  it.  However  dull  their  feehngs  may  be,  if 
duty  calls,  do  rr.  Do  not  wait  for  feehng,  but  DO  ED.  Most 
likely  the  very  emotions  for  which  you  would  wait  will  be* 
called  into  exercise  when  you  begin  to  do  your  duty.  If  the 
duty  is  prayer,  for  uistance,  and  you  have  not  the  feehngs  you 
would  wish,  do  not  wait  for  emotions  before  you  pray,  but 
pray,  and  open  your  mouth  wide.  And  in  doiag  it,  you  are 
most  hkely  to  have  the  emotions  for  which  you  were  inchned 
to  wait,  and  which  constitute '  the  conscious  happiness  of  re- 
hgion. 

2.  Young  converts  should  be  taught  that  they  have  re 
nounced  the  ovmet'ship  of  aU  their  possessions,  and  of  thetiisehjes^  or 
if  they  have  not  done  this  they  are  not  Christians.  They  should 
not  be  left  to  think  that  any  thing  is  their  own,  their  time, 
property,  iafluence,  faculties,  bodies  or  souls.  "Ye  are  not 
your  own  ;"  all  belongs  to  God  ;  and  when  they  submitted  to 
God  they  made  a  fi-ee  surrender  of  all  to  him,  to  be  ruled  and 
disposed  of  at  his  pleasiure.  They  have  no  right  to  spend 
one  hour  as  if  their  tuue  was  their  own.  No  right  to  go  any- 
where, or  do  anythiag,  for  themselves,  but  should  hold  all  at 
the  disposal  of  God,  and  employ  all  for  the  glory  of  God  If 
they  do  not^  they  oo^^^-  uot  to  call  fcLemsei^es  ChiisiiunB,  i(^ 


rarsTRucnoNB  to  young  coxvkrts.  883 

khe  yery  idea  of  being  a  Christian  is  to  renounce  self  and  be- 
come entirely  consecrated  to  God.  A  man  has  no  more  right 
to  withhold  anything  from  God,  than  he  has  to  rob  or  steal 
It  is  robbery  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  term.  It  is  an  in- 
finitely higher  crime  than  it  would  be  for  a  clerk  in  a  store  to 
go  and  take  the  money  of  his  employer,  And  spend  it  on  his 
own  lusts  and  pleasui'es.  I  mean,  that  for  a  man  to  withhold 
from  God,  is  a  higher  crime  against  him,  than  a  man  can  com- 
mit against  his  fellow  man,  inasmuch  as  God  is  the  owner  of 
all  tlungs  in  an  infinitely  higher  sense  than  man  can  be  the 
owner  of  anything.  If  God  calls  on  them  to  employ  any- 
thing they  have,  their  money,  or  their  time,  or  to  give  their 
childi-en,  or  to  dedicate  themselves,  in  advancing  his  king- 
dom, and  they  refuse,  because  they  want  to  use  them  in  their 
own  way,  or  prefer  to  do  something  else,  it  is  vastly  more 
blamable  than  for  a  clerk  or  an  agent  to  go  and  embezzle  the 
money  that  is  intrusted  to  him  by  his  employer,  and  spend  it 
for  his  family,  or  lay  it  out  in  baiik  stock  or  in  speculation  for 
himself. 

God  is,  in  an  infinitely  higher  sense,  the  ovmer  of  all,  than 
any  employer  can  be  said  to  be  the  owner  of  what  he  has. 
And  the  church  of  Christ  never  will  take  high  ground,  never 
will  be  disentangled  from  the  world,  never  will  be  able  to  go 
forward  without  these  continual  declensions  and  backslidings, 
until  Christians,  and  the  churches  generally,  take  the  ground, 
and  hold  to  it,  that  it  is  just  as  much  a  matter  of  discipline 
for  a  church  member  practically  to  deny  his  stewardship  as  to 
deny  the  divinity  of  Cln4st,  and  that  covetousness  fairly 
proved  shall  just  as  certainly  exclude  a  man  from  communion 
as  adultery. 

The  church  is  mighty  orthodox  in  nofmns,  but  very  hereti- 
cal in  practice,  but  the  time  must  come  when  the  church  will 
be  just  as  vigilant  in  guarding  orthodoxy  in  practice  as  or^ 
thodoxy  in  doctrine,  and  just  as  prompt  to  turn  out  heretics 
in  practice  as  heretics  that  corrupt  the  doctrines  of  the  GospeL 
In  fact,  it  is  vastly  more  important  The  only  design  of  doctrine 
is  to  produce  practice,  and  it  does  not  seem  to  be  imderstood 
by  the  church,  that  true  faith  *'  works  by  love  and  puiitieg  the 
heai-t,"  that  heresy  in  practice,  is  proof  conclusive  of  heresy 
in  sentiment  The  church  are  very  sticklish  for  correct  doc- 
trine and  veiy  careless  about  correct  hving.  This  is  prepos- 
terous. Has  it  come  to  this,  that  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ 
ifl  to  be  satisfied  with  corr(3ct  notions  on  some  abstract 
points,  and  never  reduce  her  orthodoxy  to  practice  ?  Let  i4 
be  so  no  longer. 


t6ft  nrsTBucnoirs  to  yojjvq  oontsbts. 

It  is  high  time  these  matters  were  set  right.  And  the  only 
way  to  set  them  right,  is  to  begin  right  with  those  who  are 
just  entering  uj^on  religion.  Young  converts  must  be  told 
that  they  are  just  as  worthy  of  damnation,  and  that  the 
church  cannot  and  will  not  hold  fellowship  with  them,  if  they 
fihow  a  covetous  spirit,  and  turn  a  deaf  ear  when  the  whole 
world  is  calling  for  help,  as  if  they  were  hving  in  adultery,  or 
m  the  daily  worship  of  idols. 

3.  Teach  them  how  to  cultivate  a  tender  conscience.  I  have 
often  been  amazed  to  find  how  httle  conscience  there  is,  even 
among  those  who  we  hope  are  Christians,  And  here  we  see 
the  reason  of  it.  Their  consciences  were  never  cultivated. 
They  never  were  taught  and  told  how  to  cultivate  a  tender 
conscience.  They  have  not  even  a  natural  conscience.  They 
have  dealt  so  rudely  with  their  conscience,  and  resisted  it  so 
often,  that  it  has  got  blunted,  and  does  not  act.  The  useful- 
ness of  a  Christian,  greatly  depends  on  his  knowing  how  to 
cultivate  his  conscience.  Young  converts  should  be  taught 
to  keep  their  conscience  just  as  tender  as  the  apple  of  the 
eye.  They  should  watch  their  conduct  and  their  motives, 
and  let  their  motives  be  so  pure  and  their  conduct  so  disin- 
terested as  not  to  offend  or  injure  or  stifle  conscience.  They 
should  maintain  such  a  habit  of  Hstening  to  conscience,  that 
it  will  be  always  ready  to  give  forth  a  stem  verdict  on  aU  oc- 
casions. It  is  astonishing  to  see  how  much  the  conscience 
may  be  cultivated  by  a  proper  course.  If  rightly  attended 
to,  it  made  be  made  so  pure,  and  so  powerful,  that  it  will  al- 
ways respond  exactly  to  the  word  of  God.  Present  any  duty 
to  such  a  Christian,  or  any  self-denial,  or  suffering,  and  only 
show  him  the  word  of  God  and  he  will  do  it  without  a  word. 
In  a  few  months,  if  properly  taught  and  attended  to,  young 
converts  may  have  a  conscience  so  dehcately  poised  that  the 
weight  of  a  feather  will  turn  them.  Only  bring  a  "  Thus 
said  the  Lord,"  and  they  will  be  always  ready  to  do  that,  be 
it  what  it  may. 

4.  Young  converts  should  be  taught  to  pray  vnthout  ceasing. 
That  is,  they  should  always  keep  up  a  watch  over  their 
miTids,  and  be  all  the  time  in  a  prayerful  spirit  They  should 
be  taught  to  pray  always,  whatever  may  take  place.  For 
the  want  of  right  uistruction  on  this  point  many  young  con 
▼erts  suffer  loss  and  get  far  away  from  God.  For  instance, 
sometimes  it  happens  that  a  young  convert  will  fall  into 
some  sin,  and  then  he  feels  as  if  he  could  not  pray,  and  in- 
•tead  of  overcoming  this  he  feels  so  distressed  that  he 
waits  for  the  keen  edge  of  his  disti-ess  to  pass  away.     I» 


nrSTRUOTIONB  TO  TOimo  OOmrBBTB.  881 

ffiead  of  going  right  to  Jesus  in  the  midst  of  his  agony,  and 
confessing  his  sin  out  of  the  fuhiess  of  his  heart  and  getting 
a  renewed  pardon  and  peace  restored,  he  waits  till  all  the 
keenness  of  his  feelings  have  subsided,  and  then  his  repent- 
ance, if  he  does  repent,  is  cold  and  half-hearted-  Let  me  tell 
you,  beloved,  never  to  do  this,  but  when  your  conscience 
presses  you,  go  then  right  to  Christ,  confess  your  sin  fully, 
and  pour  out  your  heart  to  God. 

Sometimes  people  will  neglect  to  pray  because  they  ore  in 
the  dark,  and  feel  no  desire  to  pray.  But  that  is  the  very 
time  when  they  need  prayer.  That  is  the  very  reason  why 
they  ought  to  pray.  You  should  go  right  to  God  and  con- 
fess your  coldness  and  darkness  of  mind.  TeU  him  just  how 
you  feel.  Tell  him,  "  O  Lord,  1  have  no  desire  to  pray,  but  I 
know  I  ought  to  pray."  And  the  first  you  vrill  know,  the 
Spirit  may  come,  and  lead  your  heart  out  in  prayer,  and  all 
the  dark  clouds  will  pass  away. 

5.  Toimg  converts  should  be  faithfully  warned  against 
adopting  a  false  standard  in  religion.  They  should  not  be  left 
to  fall  in  behind  old  professors,  and  keep  them,  before  their 
minds  as  a  standard  of  holy  Hving.  They  should  always 
look  at  Christ  as  their  model.  Not  aim  at  being  as  good 
Christians  as  the  old  church  members,  and  not  think  they  are 
doing  pretty  well  because  they  are  as  much  awake  as  the 
old  members  of  the  church.  But  they  should  aim  at  being 
holy,  and  not  rest  satisfied  till  they  are  perfect  as  God.  The 
church  has  been  greatly  injured  for  the  want  of  attention  to 
this  matter.  Young  converts  have  come  forward,  and  their 
hearts  were  warm  and  their  zeal  ardent  enough  to  aim  at  a 
high  standard,  but  they  were  not  directed  properly,  and  so 
they  soon  settle  down  into  the  notion  that  what  is  good 
enough  for  others  is  good  enough  for  them,  and  therefore 
they  never  aim  higher  than  those  who  are  before  them.  And 
in  this  way  the  church  instead  of  rising  with  every  revival, 
higher  and  higher  in  holiness,  is  kept  nearly  stationary. 

6.  Youug  converts  should  be  taught  to  do  all  their  duty. 
They  should  never  make  a  compromise  with  duty,  nor  think 
of  saying,  "  I  will  do  this  as  an  ofiset  for  neglecting  /^-^ 
They  should  never  rest  satisfied  till  they  have  done  their 
duties  of  every  kind,  in  relation  to  their  families,  the  church 
Sabbath  Schools,  the  impenitent  around  them,  the  disposal 
of  their  property,  the  conversion  of  the  world.  Let  them 
do  their  duty,  as  they  feel  it  when  there  hearts  are  warm ; 
and  never  attempt  to  pick  and  choose  among  the  eommand- 
ments  of  God. 

17 


•86  mSTEUCnONS  to   young   C0KVBEY8. 

7.  They  should  be  made  to  feel  that  they  have  no  separate 
interest.  It  is  timd  Christians  were  made  actually  to  feel 
that  they  have  no  interest  whatever,  separate  from  the  in- 
terest of  Jesus  Chiist  and  his  kingdom.  They  should  under- 
stand that  they  are  incorporated  into  the  family  of  Jesus 
Christ,  as  members  in  fuU,  so  that  their  whole  interest  is 
identified  with  his.  They  are  embarked  with  him,  they  have 
Sfone  on  board,  ajid  taken  them  alL  And  henceforth  thej 
have  nothing  to  do,  or  nothing  to  say,  except  as  it  is  con- 
nected with  this  interest  and  bears  on  the  cause  and  kingdom 
of  Chiisi 

8.  They  should  be  taught  to  maintain  singleness  of  motive. 
Young  convei-ts  should  not  begin  to  have  a  double  mind,  on 
any  subject,  or  let  selfish  motives  mingle  in  with  good  mo- 
tives in  anything  they  do.  But  this  can  never  be,  so  long 
as  Chiistians  are  allowed  to  hold  a  separate  interest  of  their 
own,  distinct  fi'om  the  interest  of  Jesus  Christ.  If  they  feel 
that  they  have  a  separate  interest,  it  is  impossible  to  keep  them 
from  regardiru/  it,  and  having  an  eye  to  it  as  well  as  to  Chiist'a 
interest,  in  many  things  thafc  they  do.  It  is  only  by  becom- 
ing entirely  consecrated  to  God,  and  giving  up  all  to  his  ser^ 
vice,  that  they  can  ever  keep  theii'  eye  smgle  and  their  mo- 
tives pure. 

9.  They  should  set  out  with  a  determination  to  aim  at  being 
useful  in  the  highest  degree  possible.  They  should  not  rest 
satisfied  with  merely  being  useful,  or  remaining  in  a  situation 
where  they  can  do  some  good.  But  if  they  see  an  oppor- 
tunity where  they  can  do  more  good,  they  must  embrace  it, 
whatever  may  be  the  sacrifice  to  themselves.  No  matter 
what  it  may  cost  them,  no  matter  what  danger  or  what  suf- 
fering, no  matter  what  change  in  their  outward  circumstances, 
or  habits,  or  employments  it  may  lead  to.  If  they  are  satis- 
fied that  they  will  on  the  whole  do  more  good,  they  should 
not  even  hesitata  How  else  can  they  be  like  God  ?  How 
can  they  think  to  bear  the  image  of  Jesus  Christ,  if  they  are 
not  prepared  to  do  all  the  good  that  is  in  their  power  ?  When 
a  man  is  converted  he  comes  into  a  new  world,  and  should 
consider  himself  as  a  new  man.  If  he  finds  he  can  do  the 
most  good  by  remaining  in  his  old  employment,  let  it  be 
so.  But  if  he  can  do  more  good  in  some  other  way,  he  i& 
bound  to  change.  It  is  for  the  want  of  attention  to  this  sub- 
ject, in  the  outset,  that  Christians  have  got  such  low  idesis  on 
the  subject  of  duty.  And  that  is  the  reason  why  there  a»  * 
BO  many  useless  members  in  our  churches. 

10.  They  must  be  taught  not  to  aim  at  comfort  hut  w«c/ti< 


INBTBUCTIONS   TO    YOUNG   CONVEBTB.  881 

nesi  in  religion.  There  are  a  great  many  spiritual  epicurei 
in  the  churches,  who  are  all  the  wliHe  seeking  to  be  happy 
in  religion,  while  they  take  very  httle  pains  to  be  iiBefuL 
They  had  much  rather  spend  their  time  in  singing  jo}^ 
hynms,  and  in  pouring  out  their  happy  feelings  in  a  gushing 
tide  of  exultation  and  triumph,  than  to  spend  it  in  agoniz- 
ing prayer  for  sinners,  or  in  going  about  and  pulling  d;yTng 
men  out  of  the  fire.  They  seem  to  feel  as  if  they  were  bom 
to  enjoy  themselves.  But  I  do  not  think  such  Christians 
show  such  fruits  as  to  make  their  example  one  to  be  imitated. 
Such  was  not  the  temper  of  the  apostles.  They  travailed 
for  souls,  and  laboui'ed  in  weariness  and  painfulness,  and  in 
deaths  oft,  to  save  sintiers.  Nor  is  it  safe.  Ordinarily,  Cliris- 
tians  are  not  qualified  to  drink  deep  at  the  fountain  of  joy. 
In  ordinai7  cases,  a  deep  agony  of  prayer  for  souls  is  more  pro- 
fitable than  high  flights  of  joy.  Let  young  converts  be  taught, 
plainly,  not  to  calculate  upon  a  life  of  joy  and  triumph. 
They  may  be  called  to  go  through  fiery  trials.  Satan  may 
sift  them  like  wheat  But  they  must  go  forward,  not  calcu- 
lating so  much  to  be  happy  as  to  be  useful,  not  talking  about 
oomfoi-t  but  duty,  not  desiring  flights  of  joy  and'tnumph, 
but  hungering  and  thirsting  after  righteousness,  not  studying 
how  to  create  new  flights  of  raptui'e,  but  how  to  know  the 
will  of  God,  and  do  it.  They  will  be  happy  enough  in  heaven. 
There  they  may  sing  the  song  of  Moses  and  the  Lamb.  And 
they  will  in  fact  enjoy  a  more  sohd  and  rational  happiness 
here,  by  thinking  nothing  about  it,  but  patiently  devoting 
themselves  to  do  the  will  of  God. 

11.  They  should  be  taught  to  have  moral  courage,  and  not 
to  be  afraid  of  going  forwai'd  in  duty.  The  Bible  insists 
fuUy  on  Chiistian  boldness  and  corn-age  in  action  as  a  duty. 
I  do  not  mean  that  they  should  indulge  in  their  bravadoes, 
like  Peter,  telling  what  they  will  do,  and  boasting  of  their 
courage.  The  boaster  is  generally  a  coward  at  heart  But 
I  mean  moral  corn-age,  a  humble  and  fixed  decision  of  pur 
pose,  that  will  go  forward  in  any  duty,  unangered  and  un- 
awed,  with  the  meekness  and  fiiinness  of  the  Son  of  God. 

12.  They  shoidd  be  so  insti-ucted  as  to  be  sound  in  the 
faith.  That  is,  they  should  be  eai-ly  made,  as  far  as  possible, 
complete  and  coiTect  in  regai'd  to  their  doctrinal  behef.  As 
soon  as  may  be,  without  turning  their  minds  off  from  theii 
practical  duties,  in  promoting  the  glory  of  God  and  the  sal- 
vation of  men,  they  should  be  taught  fully  and  plainly,  all 
the  leading  doctrines  of  the  Bible.  Docti-inal  knowledge  is 
Uadispensable  to  growth  in  graca     Knowledge  is  the  food  of 


$88  INSTRUCTIONS   TO   YOUNG   CONTEBTS. 

the  mind.  **  That  the  sord  be  without  knowledge,"  says  the 
Wise  Man,  "  It  is  not  good."  The  mind  cannot  grow  with- 
out knowledge  any  more  than  the  body  without  food.  And 
therefore  it  is  important  that  young  converts  should  be  thor- 
oughly indoctrinated,  and  made  to  understand  the  Bible. 
By  indoctrinating  I  do  not  mean  teaching  the  catechism,  but 
teaching  them  to  draw  knowledge  from  the  fountain  head. 
Create  ia  their  minds  such  an  appetite  for  knowledge  that 
they  will  eat  the  Bible  up,  will  devour  it,  will  love  it  and  love 
it  all.  A II  scripture  is  profitable,  that  the  man  of  God  may 
be  perfect,  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works. 

13.  Great  pains  should  be  taken  to  guard  young  convertg 
against  censoriousness.  Young  converts,  when  they  first  come 
out  on  the  Lord's  side,  and  are  all  warm  and  zealous,  some- 
times find  old  professors  so  cold  and  dead  that  they  are 
strongly  tempted  to  be  censorioua  This  should  be  corrected 
immediately,  otherwise  the  habit  will  poison  their  minds  and 
destroy  their  reUgion. 

14.  They  must  learn  to  say,  No.  This  is  a  very  difficult 
lesson  to  many.  See  that  yoimg  woman.  Formerly  she 
loved  the  gay  circle,  and  took  deUght  in  its  pleasures.  She 
joined  the  church,  and  then  found  herself  aloof  from  all  her 
old  associates.     They  ask  her  not  now  to  their  balls  and 

Earties,  because  they  know  she  will  not  join  them,  and  per- 
aps  they  keep  entirely  away  for  a  time,  for  fear  she  should 
converse  with  them  about  tiieir  souls.  But  by  and  by  they 
grow  a  little  bold,  and  some  of  them  venture  to  ask  her  just 
to  take  a  ride  with  a  few  friends.  She  does  not  Hke  to  say, 
No.  They  are  her  old  friends,  only  a  few  of  them  are  going, 
and  surely  a  ride  is  so  innocent  a  recreation,  that  she  accents 
the  invitation.  But  now  she  has  begun  to  comply,  the  ice 
is  broken,  and  they  have  her  again  as  one  of  them.  It  goes 
on,  and  she  begins  to  attend  their  social  visits — "  only  a  few 
friends,"  you  know,  till  by  and  by  the  carpet  is  taken  up  for 
a  dance,  and  the  next  thing,  perhaps,  she  is  gone  to  a  sleigh 
ride,  on  Saturday  night,  and  coines  home  after  midnight,  and 
then  sleejDS  all  the  forenoon  on  the  Sabbath  to  make  up  for 
it,  perhaps  communion  Sabbath  too.  All  for  the  want  of 
learning  to  say,  No. 

See  that  young  man.  For  a  time  he  was  always  in  his 
place  in  the  Sabbath  School  and  in  the  prayer  meeting.  But 
by  and  by  his  old  friends  begin  to  treat  him  with  attention 
again,  and  they  draw  him  along  step  by  step.  Every  one 
seems  a  very  small  thing,  and  it  would  look  lie  rudeness  to 
deny  so  small  a  thing.     He  reasons  that  if  he  refuses  to  go 


ENSTRUCnONS    TO    YOFNG    COirVTEBTB.  88ft 

with  them  in  things  that  are  innocent,  he  will  lose  his  in- 
fluence with  them.  And  so  he  goes  on,  till  prayer  meeting, 
Bible  class,  and  even  Bible  and  closet  are  neglected  Ah, 
young  man,  stop  there  1  Go  only  a  Httle  farther  without 
learning  to  say  No,  and  you  are  gone.  If  you  do  not 
wish  to  hang  up  the  cause  of  Christ  to  scorn  and  contempt, 
learn  to  resist  the  beginnings  of  temptation.  Otbei-wise  it 
will  come  upon  you,  by  and  by,  like  the  letting  out  of  water. 

15.  They  should  be  taught  what  is  and  what  is  not  Christian 
experience.  It  is  necessary,  both  for  their  comfort  and 
-heir  usefulness,  that  they  should  understand  this,  so  that 
ihey  need  not  run  themselves  into  needless  distress  for  the 
want  of  that  which  is  by  no  means  essential  to  Christian  ex- 
perience, nor  flatter  themselves  that  they  have  more  rehgion 
than  they  really,  exercise.  But  I  cannot  dwell  on  this  topic 
to-night. 

16.  Testch  them  not  to  count  anything  a  eajcrifice  which 
Owy  do  for  God,  Some  persons  are  always  telling  about  the 
saciifices  they  make  in  rehgion.  I  have  no  confidence  in 
such  piety.  Why  keep  telling  about  their  sacrifices,  as  if 
everything  they  did  for  God  was  a  sacrifice.  If  they  loved 
God  they  would  not .  talk  so.  If  they  considered  their  own 
interests  and  the  interest  of  Christ  identical,  they  would  not 
talk  of  making  sacrifices  for  Christ ;  it  would  be  like  talking 
of  making  sacrifices  for  themselves. 

17.  It  is  of  great  importance  that  young  converts  should 
be  taught  to  be  strictly  honest,  I  mean  more  by  this  than 
perhaps  you  would  think.  It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  strictly 
honest  It  is  being  very  different  from  the  world  at  large,  and 
very  different  even  from  the  great  body  of  professors  of  re- 
ligion. The  hohest  man  I  ever  knew,  and  one  who  had  been 
many  years  a  Christian  and  a  minister,  once  made  the  remark 
to  me,  "  Brother,  it  is  a  great  thing  to  be  strictly  honest,  up- 
right, straight  in  everything,  so  that  God's  pure  eye  can  see 
that  the  mind  is  perfectly  upright." 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  yoimg  converts  should 
understand  what  it  is  to  be  strictly  honest  in  everything,  so 
that  they  can  maintain  a  conscience  void  of  offence,  both 
towards  God  and  towards  men.  Alas,  alas  I  how  httle  conr 
science  there  is.  How  httle  of  that  real  honesty,  that  pure, 
simple  uprightness,  which  ought  to  mark  the  fife  of  a  child 
of  God  How  httle  do  many  regard  even  an  express  promisa 
I  heard  the  other  day  of  a  number  of  individuals  who  sub- 
scribed to  the  Anti-Slavery  Society,  and  not  half  of  them  will 
pay  their  subscriptions.      The  plea  is,  that  they  signed  whec 


890  orsTRucnoNs  to  yotjxg  convetcts. 

they  were  ander  excitement,  and  they  do  not  choose  to  pay. 
Just  as  if  their  being  excited  released  them  from  the  oblig* 
tion  to  keep  their  promise.  Why  it  is  just  as  dishonest  as  it 
would  be  to  refuse  payment  of  a  note  of  hand.  They  prom- 
ised, signed  their  names,  did  they,  and  now  will  not  pay? 
And  they  call  that  honesty  ! 

I  have  heai'd  that  there  are  a  number  of  men  in  the  city 
who  have  signed  hundreds  of  dollars  for  the  Oneida  Insti- 
tute, promisiQg  to  pay  the  money  when  called  on  ;  and 
when  they  were  called  on  they  refused  to  pay  the  money. 
And  the  reason  was,  they  had  all  turned  abohtionists  in  the 
Institute.  Very  well  Suppose  they  have.  Does  that  alter 
your  promise  ?  Did  you  sign  on  the  condition  that  if  they 
got  AboHtionism  introduced  there  you  should  be  clear  ? 
If  you  did,  then  you  ai^e  clear.  But  if  you  gave  your  prom- 
ise without  any  condition,  it  is  just  as  dishonest  to  refuse  as 
if  you  had  given  a  note  of  hand.  And  yet  some  of  you  might 
be  almost  angry  if  anybody  should  charge  you  with  refusing 
to  pay  money  when  you  promised  it. 

Look  at  this  seriously.  Who  does  God  say  will  go  to 
heaven?  Read  the  15th  Psahn,  and  see.  "He  that  sweareth 
to  his  own  hurt,  and  changeth  not."  What  do  you  think  of 
that  ?  If  a  man  has  promised  anything,  except  it  he  to  commit 
siriy  let  him  keep  his  promise,  if  he  means  to  be  honest  or  to 
go  to  heaven.  But  here  these  people  wiU  make  promises,  and 
because  they  cannot  be  prosecuted,  will  break  them  as  easily 
as  if  they  were  nothing.  They  would  not  let  a  note  be  pro- 
tested at  the  bank.  Why  ?  Because  they  would  lose  credit, 
and  would  be  sued.  But  the  Oneida  Institute,  and  the 
Anti-Slavery  Society,  and  other  societies,  will  not  sue  for  the 
money,  and  therefore  these  people  take  some  offence  at  some- 
thing, and  refuse  to  pay.  Is  tliis  honest?  Will  such  hon- 
esty as  this  get  them  admitted  to  heaven  ?  What  ?  Break 
your  promises,  and  go  up  and  carry  a  He  in  your  hand  before 
God  f  If  you  refuse  or  neglect  to  fulfill  your  promise  you  ai^ 
a  liar^  and  if  you  persist  in  this,  you  shall  have  your  part  in  the 
lake  that  bums  mth  lire  and  brimstone.  I  would  not,  for 
ten  thousand  worlds,  die  with  money  in  my  hands,  that  I 
had  unrighteously  withheld  from  any  object  to  which  I  had 
promised  it.     Such  money  will  "  eat  Uke  a  canker." 

If  you  are  not  able  to  pay  the  money,  that  is  a  good  excuse. 
But  then  say  so.  But  if  you  refuse  to  pay  what  you  have 
promised,  because  you  have  altered  your  mind,  rely  upon  it, 
you  are  guilty.  You  cannot  pray  tiU  you  pay  that  money. 
What  will  you  pray  ?     "  O  Lord,  I  promised  to  give  that 


INSTEUCnONS    TO    YOUNG    C0NVBRT8.  391 

money,  but  I  altered  my  mind,  and  broke  my  promise  ;  but 
still,  O  Lord,  I  pray  thee  to  bless  me,  and  forgive  my  sin,  ai 
though  I  keep  my  money,  and  make  me  happy  in  thy  love.* 
Will  such  prayers  be  heard  ?     Never. 

But,  brethren,  I  find  it  impossible  to  touch  upon  all  the 
points  I  intended  to  si>eak  upon,  and  so  I  will  break  off  here^ 
tudd  ^Tiigl^  this  subject  another  time. 


LECfTUHE    XX 


ISfTBUOTION    OF    YOUNQ    OOKYEBTS. 
TsxT.— Feed  my  lambs.— John  xzi.  15. 

I  TtTBMATtTnffn  on  this  text  in  my  last  lecture,  and  was  oblige^ 
for  want  of  time,  to  omit  many  of  the  points  which  I  wished 
to  present  in  regard  to  the 

DCBTRUOTIOlf  OF  YOUNO  OONVEBTEU 

To-night  I  propose  to  continue  the  subject  by  noticing, 

L  Several  other  points  upon  which  young  converts  ought 
to  be  instructed. 

LL  To  show  the  manner  in  which  young  converts  should 
be  treated  by  the  church. 

HL  Mention  some  of  the  evils  which  naturally  result  from 
defective  instructions  given  in  that  stage  of  Christian  ezpe- 


L  I  shall  pursue  the  subject,  taking  it  up  where  I  left  ofl^ 
by  mentioning  some  further  instructions  which  it  is  impor 
tant  should  be  given  to  young  converta 

1.  It  is  of  great  importance  that  young  converts  should 
early  be  made  to  understand  what  religion  (xmsists  m.  Per- 
haps you  will  be  surprised  at  my  mentioning  this.  "  What  I 
Are  they  converts,  and  do  they  not  know  what  religion  con- 
sists in  ?*'  I  answer.  They  would  know,  if  they  had  had  no 
instruction  but  such  as  is  drawn  from  the  Bibla  But  multi- 
tudes of  people  have  imbibed  such  notions  about  religion, 
that  not  not  only  young  converts,  but  a  great  part  of  the 
ckurch  do  not  know  what  rehgion  consists  in,  so  as  to  have  a 
dear  and  distinct  idea  of  it  There  are  many  ministers  who 
do  not.  I  do  no  not  mean  to  say  that  they  have  no  religion, 
for  it  may  be  charitably  beheved  they  have  ;  but  what  I  mean 
IB,  that  they  do  not  discriminate  as  to  what  it  consists  in,  and 
cannot  give  a  correct  statement  of  what  does  and  what  doea 
not  constitute  real  religion.  It  is  important  that  young 
aonverts  should  be  taught 

Negatively,  what  religion  does  not  consist  in. 

(1.)  Not  in  doctrinal  knmdedge.     Knowledge  is  essential  to 


iKSTBircnoir  of  toxtno  coirrKBra,  Mt 

religion,  but  it  is  not  religion.  The  dewil  has  doctrinal 
knowledge,  but  he  has  no  reUgion.  A  man  may  have  doc- 
"Irinal  Imowledge  to  any  extent  without  a  particle  of  re- 
ligion. Yet  some  people  have  very  strange  ideas  on  this 
subject,  as  though  having  doctrinal  knowledge  indicated  an 
increase  of  piety.  I  once  heard  a  remark  of  this  kind  :  in 
a  certaiu  instance,  where  some  young  converts  had  made 
rapid  progress  in  doctrinal  knowledge,  a  person  who  saw  it 
said,  "How  these  young  converts  grow  in  gi-aoe."  Here 
he  confounded  improvement  in  knowledge  with  improve- 
ment in  piety.  The  tinith  was,  that  he  had  no  means  of 
judging  of  their  growth  in  grace,  and  it  was  no  evidence  of  it 
because  they  were  making  progress  in  doctrinal  knowledge 

(2.)  They  should  be  taught  that  religion  is  no^  a  suhstanoe. 
It  is  not  any  root,  or  sprout,  or  seed,  or  anything  else  in  the 
mind,  as  a  part  of  ike  mind  itself.  Persons  often  speak  of  re- 
ligion as  if  it  was  something  that  may  be  covered  up  in  the 
mind,  just  as  a  spark  of  fire  may  be  covered  up  in  the  ashes, 
which  does  not  show  itself,  and  which  produces  no  effects,  but 
yet  lives  and  is  ready  to  act  as  soon  as  it  is  imcovered.  And 
in  like  manner  they  think  they  may  have  rehgion,  as  some- 
thing remaining  in  them,  although  they  do  not  manifest  it  by 
obeying  God.  But  they  should  be  taught  that  this  is  not  the 
nature  of  reHgiom  It  is  no  part  of  the  mind  itself,  or  of  th« 
body,  nor  is  it  a  root,  or  seed,  or  spark,  that  can  exist  and 
yet  be  hid  and  produce  no  effect. 

(3.)  Teach  them  that  rehgion  does  not  consist  in  raptures, 
or  ecstades,  or  high  flights  of  feeling.  There  may  be  a  great 
deal  of  these  where  there  is  rehgion.  But  it  ought  to  be  un- 
derstood that  they  are  all  involuntary  emotions,  and  may  ex- 
ist in  fuU  power  where  there  is  no  religion.  They  may  be  the 
mere  workings  of  the  imagination,  without  any  truly  rehgioas 
affection  at  alL  Persons  may  have  them  to  such  a  degree  as 
actually  to  swoon  away  with  ecstacy,  even  on  the  subject  of 
religion,  without  having  any  reHgiom  I  have  known  one 
person  almost  carried  away  with  rapture,  by  a  mere  view  of 
the  natm*al  attributes  of  God,  his  power  and  wisdom,  as  diS" 
played  in  the  stan-y  heavens,  and  yet  the  person  had  no  re- 
ligion. Rehgion  is  obedience  to  God,  the  voluntary  submis- 
sion of  the  soul  to  the  will  of  God. 

(4.)  Neither  does  rehgion  consist  in  going  to  meeting  or 
reading  the  Bible,  or  prating,  or  any  other  of  what  tire  com- 
monly called  religious  J:uties.  The  very  phrase,  "  religious 
duties,"  ought  to  be  striken  out  of  the  vocabulary  of  young 
converts.  They  should  be  made  to  know  that  these  acts  are 
17* 


t94  i2!rsTBucnoN  of  young  coistkrts. 

not  religion.  Many  become  very  strict  in  performing  certain 
tilings,  which  they  call  religious  duties,  and  suppose  that  is  be 
ing  religious  ;  while  they  are  careless  about  the  ordinary  du- 
ties of  life,  which  in  fact  constitute  A  LIFE  OF  PIETY. 
Prayer  may  be  an  expression  and  an  act  of  piety,  or  it  may 
not  be.  Going  to  church  or  to  a  prayer  meeting,  may  be  con 
sidered  either  as  a  means,  an  act,  or  an  expression  of  pioua 
sentiment ;  but  the  performance  of  these  does  not  constitute 
a  man  a  Christian,  and  there  may  be  great  strictness  and  zeal 
in  these,  without  a  particle  of  rehgion.  If  young  converts 
are  not  taught  to  discriminate,  they  may  be  led  to  think  there 
is  something  pecuHar  in  what  are  called  religious  duties,  and 
to  imagine  they  have  a  great  deal  of  reHgion  because  they 
abound  in  certain  actions  that  are  commonly  called  religious 
duties,  although  they  may  at  the  same  time  be  very  defi- 
cient in  honesty  or  faithfulness  or  punctuahty,  or  temper- 
ance, or  any  other  of  what  they  choose  to  call  their  common 
duties.  They  may  be  very  punctilious  m  some  tilings,  may 
tithe  mint,  anise  and  cummin,  and  yet  neglect  the  weightier 
matters  of  the  law,  justice  and  the  love  of  God. 

(5.)  Religion  does  not  consist  m  desires  to  do  good  actimis. 
Desires  that  do  not  result  in  choice  and  action  are  not  virtu- 
ous. Nor  are  such  desires  necessarily  vicious.  They  maj 
arise  iuvoluntarily  in  the  mind,  in  view  of  certain  objects,  but 
while  they  produce  no  voluntary  act,  they  are  no  more  virtu- 
ous or  vicious  than  the  beating  of  the  pulse,  except  in  cases 
where  we  have  indirectly  willed  them  into  existence,  by  volun- 
tarily putting  ourselves  under  circumstances  to  excite  them. 
The  wickedest  man  on  earth  may  have  strong  desires  after 
holiness.  Did  you  ever  think  of  that  1  He  may  see  clearly 
that  holiness  is  the  only  and  iudispensable  means  of  happi 
ness.  And  the  moment  he  apprehends  holiness  as  a  means  of 
happiness,  he  natm^ally  desii-es  it.  It  is  to  be  feared,  that  multi 
tudes  are  deceiving  themselves  with  the  supposition,  that  a 
desu-e  for  holiness,  as  a  means  of  happiness,  is  rehgion. 
Many,  doubtless,  give  themselves  great  credit  for  desires  that 
never  result  in  choosing  right.  They  feel  desires  to  do  their 
duty,  but  do  not  choose  to  do  it,  because  upon  the  whole 
they  have  still  stronger  desires  not  to  do  it.  In  such  desires, 
there  is  no  virtue.  An  action  or  desire  to  be  virtuous  in  the 
sight  of  God,  must  be  an  act  of  the  wilL  People  often  talk 
most  absurdly  on  this  subject,  as  though  their  desires  had  any- 
thing good,  while  they  remain  mere  desires.  "  I  think  I  de- 
sire to  do  so  and  so.'  But  do  you  do  it?  "  Oh,  no,  but  I  often 
Ceel  a  desire  to  do  it."     This  is  practical  Atheism. 


INSTKUCnON    OF    YOUNG    CONTEEHB.  896 

Whatever  desires  a  person  may  have,  if  they  are  not  car- 
ried out  into  actual  choice  and  action,  they  are  not  virtuous. 
And  no  degi*ee  of  desire  is  itself  virtuous.  If  this  idea  could  be 
made  prominent,  and  fully  riveted  in  the  minds  of  men,  it 
would  probably  aimiliilate  the  hopes  of  half  the  church,  who 
are  living  on  their  good  desires,  while  doing  nothing  for 
God 

(6.)  They  should  be  made  to  understand  that  nothing 
which  is  selfish,  is  religion.  "V\niatever  desires  they  may 
have,  and  whatever  choices  and  actions  they  may  put  forth, 
if  after  all  the  reason  of  them  is  selfish,  there  is  no  religion 
in  them.  A  man  may  just  as  well  commit  sin  in  praying,  or 
reading  the  Bible,  or  going  to  meeting,  as  in  anything  else,  if 
his  motive  is  selfish.  Suppose  a  man  prays  simply  with  a 
view  to  promote  his  own  happiness.  Is  that  religion  ?  What 
is  it,  but  attempting  to  make  God  his  almighty  servant  ?  It 
is  nothing  else  but  to  attempt  a  great  speculation,  and  put  the 
universe,  God  and  all,  under  contribution  to  make  h\m  happy. 
It  is  the  sublime  degree  of  wdckedness.  It  is  so  far  from  be- 
ing piety,  that  it  is  in  fact  superlative  wickedness. 

(7.)  Nothing  is  acceptable  to  God,  as  rehgion,  unless  it  be 
performed  heartly,  to  please  God.  No  outward  action  has 
anything  good,  or  anything  that  God  approves,  unless  it  is 
performed  from  right  motives,  and  from  the  heart. 

(a)  Young  converts  should  be  taught  fully  and  positively 
that  aU  religion  consists  in  obeying  God  from  the  heart.  Afi 
religion  consists  in  volimtary  action.  All  that  is  holy,  aU  that 
is  lovely  in  the  sight  of  God,  all  that  is  properly  called  rehgion, 
consists  in  voluntary  action,  in  voluntarily  obeying  the  will  of 
God  from  the  heart. 

2.  Young  converts  should  be  taught  that  the  duty  of  sdf- 
denial  is  one  of  the  leading  features  of  the  Gospel.  They 
should  understand  that  they  are  not  pious  at  all,  any  farther 
than  they  are  willing  to  take  up  the  cross  daily,  and  deny 
themselves,  for  Christ  There  is  but  very  httle  self-denial  in 
the  church,  and  the  reason  is,  that  the  duty  is  so  much  lost 
aght  of,  in  giving  instruction  to  young  converts.  How  sel- 
dom are  they  told  that  self-denial  is  Qie  leading  feature  of 
Christianity.  In  pleading  for  benevolent  objects,  how  often 
will  you  find,  that  ministers  and  agents  do  not  even  ask  Chris- 
tians to  deny  themselves  for  the  sake  of  promoting  the  object 
They  only  ask  them  to  give  what  they  can  spare  as  well  as 
not,  or  in  other  words,  to  offer  unto  the  Lord  that  which  costs 
them  nothing.  What  an  abomination !  They  only  ask  for 
the  surplus,  for  what  they  do  not  want,  for  what  they  can  give 


#90  nrsTBUcnoN  of  yoitxg  coit^erts. 

just  as  well  as  not  There  is  no  religion  in  this  kind  of  gi> 
ing.  A  man  may  give  to  a  benevolent  object,  a  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  and  there  would  be  no  religion  in  it,  if  he 
could  give  it  as  well  as  not,  and  there  was  no  self-denial  in  it. 
Jesus  Clirist  exercised  self-denial  to  save  sinners.  So  has 
God  the  Father  exercised  self-denial  in  giving  his  Son  to  die 
for  us,  and  in  sparing  us,  and  in  bearing  with  our  perverse- 
ness.  The  Holy  Ghost  exercises  self-denial,  in  condescending 
to  strive  with  such  unholy  beings  to  bring  them  to  God.  The 
angels  exercise  self-denial,  in  watching  over  this  world.  The 
£^ostles  planted  the  Christian  religion  among  the  nations  by 
the  exercise  of  self-denial.  And  are  we  to  think  of  being  re- 
ligious without  any  self-denial?  Are  we  to  caU  ourselves 
Christians,  the  followers  of  Christ,  the  temples  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  to  claim  fellowship  with  the  apostles,  when  we 
have  never  deprived  ourselves  of  anything  that  would  promote 
our  personal  enjoyment  for  the  sake  of  promoting  Christ's 
kingdom  ?  Young  converts  should  be  made  to  see  that  unless 
they  are  wilhng  to  lay  themselves  out  for  God  and  ready  to 
sacrifice  life  and  everything  else  for  Christ,  they  have  not  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  and  are  none  of  his. 

3.  They  must  be  taught  what  sanctification  is.  "  What  I " 
you  will  say,  "  do  not  all  who  are  Christians  known  what 
sanctification  is  ?"  No,  many  do  not.  Multitudes  would  be 
as  much  at  a  loss  to  tell  intelHgibly  what  sanctification  is,  as 
they  would  be  to  teU  what  region  is.  If  the  question  were 
asked  of  every  professor  of  religion  in  this  city.  What  is 
sanctification  ?  I  doubt  if  one  in  ten  would  give  a  right  an- 
swer. They  would  blunder  just  as  they  do  when  they  undei> 
take  to  teU  what  rehgion  is,  and  speak  of  it  as  something  dor- 
mant in  the  soul,  something  that  is  put  in,  and  hes  there, 
something  that  may  be  practised  or  not,  and  stiQ  be  in  them. 
So  they  speak  of  sanctification  as  if  it  were  a  sort  of  wash- 
ing off  of  some  defilement,  or  a  purging  out  of  some  physical 
mpurity.  Or  they  will  speak  of  it  as  if  the  faculties  were 
steeped  in  sin,  and  sanctification  is  taking  out  the  stains. 
This  is  the  reason  why  some  people  wiU  pray  for  sanctifica- 
tion, and  practise  sin,  evidently  supposing  that  sanctification 
is  something  that  precedes  obedience.  They  should  be  taught 
that  sanctification  is  not  something  that  precedes  obedience, 
some  change  in  the  nature  or  the  constitution  of  the  souL 
But  sanctification  is  obedience,  and,  as  a  progressive  thing, 
consists  in  obeying  God  more  and  more  perfectly  and  per 
petually. 

4  Young  converts  should  be  taught  so  as  to  unierstand 


nrsTETJcnoir  of  Touwe  contehm.  991 

what  perseverance  is.  It  is  astonishing  how  people  talk  about 
perseverance.  As  if  the  doctrine  of  perseverance  was  "  Once 
in  grace,  always  in  grace,"  or  "  Once  converted,  sure  to  go  to 
heaven."  This  is  not  the  idea  of  perseverance.  The  true 
idea  is,  that  if  a  man  is  truly  converted,  he  will  CONTTNTJE 
TO  OBEY  God.  And  as  a  conseqiience,  he  will  surely  go  to 
heaven.  But  if  a  person  gets  the  idea,  that  because  he  is 
converted,  therefore  he  will  assuredly  go  to  heaven,  that  man 
will  almost  assuredly  go  to  hell. 

5.  Young  converts  should  be  taught  to  be  religious  m  even^ 
thing.  They  should  aim  to  be  rehgious  in  every  department 
of  life  and  in  all  that  they  do.  If  they  do  not  aim  at  this, 
they  should  understand  that  they  have  no  religion  at  aU.  If 
they  do  not  intend  and  aim  to  keep  all  the  commandments  of 
God,  what  pretence  can  they  make  to  piety  ?  Whosoever 
shall  keep  the  whole  law,  and  yet  offend  in  one  point,  he  is 
ffuilty  of  all.  He  is  justly  subject  to  the  whole  penalty.  If 
ne  disobeys  God  habitually  in  one  particular,  he  does  not  in 
fact  obey  him  in  any  particular.  Obedience  to  God  (xmsists 
in  the  state  of  the  heart.  It  is  being  willing  to  obey  God ; 
willing  that  God  should  rule  in  all  things.  But  if  a  man 
habitually  disobeys  God,  in  any  one  particular,  he  is  in  a  state 
of  mind  that  renders  obedience  in  anything  else  impossible. 
To  say  that  in  some  things  a  man  obeys  God,  out  of  respect 
to  his  authority,  and  that  in  some  other  things  he  refuses  obe- 
dience, is  absurd.  The  fact  is  that  obedience  to  God  consists 
in  an  obedient  state  of  heart,  a  preference  of  God's  authority 
and  commandments  to  everything  else.  If,  therefore,  an  in- 
dividual appears  to  obey  in  some  things,  and  yet  perseveringly 
and  knowingly  disobeys  in  any  one  thing,  he  is  deceived.  He 
offends  in  one  point,  and  this  proves  that  he  is  guilty  of  all ; 
in  other  words,  that  he  does  not,  from  the  heart,  obey  at  alL 
A  man  may  pray  half  of  the  time  and  have  no  rehgion  ;  if 
he  does  not  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  his  very  prayers 
will  be  hateful  to  God.  "  He  that  tumeth  away  his  ear  from 
hearing  the  law,  even  his  prayer  shall  be  abomination."  Do 
you  hear  that  ?  If  a  man  refuses  to  obey  God's  law,  if  he  re- 
fuses to  comply  with  any  one  duty,  he  cannot  pray,  he  has  no 
religion,  his  very  devotions  are  hatefuL 

6.  Young  converts,  by  proper  instructions,  are  easily 
brought  to  be  "  temperate  in  all  things.**  Yet  this  is  a  subject 
greatiy  neglected  in  regard  to  young  converts,  and  almost 
lost  sight  of  in  the  churches.  There  is  a  vast  deal  of  intem- 
perance in  the  churches.  I  do  not  mean  intemperate  drink' 
ing,  in  particular^  but  intemperance  in  eating,  and  in  living 


398  INBTKUCTION    OF    YOUNG    CONVERTS. 

generally.  There  is  in  fact  but  little  conscience  about  it  in 
the  churchea  And  therefore  the  progi-ess  of  reform  in  the 
matter  is  so  slow.  Nothing  but  an  enhghtened  conscience 
can  carry  forward  a  permanent  reform.  Ten  years  ago,  most 
ministers  used  ardent  spirit,  and  kept  it  in  their  houses  to 
treat  their  friends  and  their  ministering  bretlu-en  with.  And 
the  gi'eat  body  of  the  members  in  the  chiu'ches  did  the  same. 
Now  there  ai-e  but  few  of  either,  who  are  not  ac;tual  diimk- 
ards,  that  will  do  it.  But  still  there  ai'e  many  that  indulge 
without  scruple  hi  the  use  of  wine.  There  are  some  mmisters, 
and  many  professors,  who  will  drink  down  whio  that  has  as 
much  spirit  in  it  as  brandy  and  water,  lliis  is  intemperance. 
Chewing  and  smoking  tobacco  are  mere  acta  of  intemperance. 
If  they  use  these  mere  stimulants  when  there  is  no  necessity 
for  it,  what  is  that  but  intemperance  ?  That  is  not  being 
temperate  in  aU  things.  Until  Christiiuis  shall  have  a  con- 
science on  this  subject,  and  be  made  to  feel  that  they  have  no 
right  to  be  intemperate  in  anything,  they  will  make  but  little 
progress  in  rehgion.  It  is  wcU  known,  or  ought  to  be,  that 
TEA  AND  COFFEE  have  no  natximont  in  them.  They  are 
mere  stimulants.  They  go  thi'ough  the  system  without  being 
digested.  The  nulk  and  sugai-  you  put  in  them  are  nourish- 
ing". And  so  they  would  be  just  as  much  so  if  you  mixed 
them  with  rum,  and  made  milk  punch-  But  the  tea  a.'id  the 
coffee  afford  no  nourishment.  Ajid  yet  I  dare  say,  tliat  a  ma- 
jority of  the  families  in  this  city  give  more  in  a  year  for  their 
tea  and  coffee,  than  they  do  to  save  the  world  from  helL 
Probably  this  is  true  respecting  entire  churches.  Even 
agents  of  benevolent  societies  will  dai-e  to  go  through  the 
chui'ches  sohciting  fiuids  for  the  support  of  missionary  and 
other  institutions,  and  yet  use  tea,  coffee,  and  in  some  cases  to- 
bacco. Strange  1  There  is  now  in  this  city  an  agent  em- 
ployed in  sohciting  funds,  who  uses  all  tliree  of  these  worse 
than  useless  stimulants.  And  he  is,  moreover,  a  nmiister  ol 
the  Gospel  1  No  doubt  many  are  giving  five  times  as  much 
for  mere  intemperance  as  they  give  for  every  effort  to  save 
the  world.  If  the  chm-ch  could  be  made  to  know  how  much 
they  spend  for  what  are  mere  poisons,  and  nothing  else,  they 
would  be  amazed  Sit  down  and  talk  with  many  persons, 
and  they  will  strenuously  maintain  that  they  cannot  get  »ilong 
without  these  stinuilants,  these  poisons,  and  tliey  cannot  give 
them  up — no,  not  to  redeem  the  world  fi'om  eteiTi^il  danmar 
fcion.  And  very  often  they  will  absolutely  show  jxnger  if  ar- 
gued with,  just  as  soon  as  the  argiunent  begins  to  pinch  their 
oouficiences.     Oh,  how  long  shall  the  chui'ch  show  her  hypo 


ENSTBUCTION    OF    YOUNG    CONVERTS.  SM 

critical  face  at  the  Monthly  Concert,  and  pray  God  to  save 
the  world,  while  she  is  actually  throwing  away  five  times  as 
much  for  sheer  intemperance,  as  she  will  give  to  save  the 
world.  Some  of  you  may  think  these  are  htt.le  tliing.s,  juid 
that  it  is  quite  beneath  the  dignity  of  the  puli)it  to  lecture 
against  tea  and  coffee.  But  I  tell  you  it  is  a  great  mistake 
of  yours,  if  you  think  these  are  little  things,  when  they  make 
the  church  odious  in  the  sight  of  God,  by  exi)C)sing  her  hy- 
pociisy  and  lust  Here  is  an  individual  who  pretends  he  has 
given  himself  up  to  sei-ve  Jesus  Christ,  tuid  yet  he  refuses  to 
deny  hhnself  any  darhng  lust,  and  then  he  wiQ  go  and  pray, 
"  O  Lord,  save  the  world  ;  O  Lord,  thy  kingdom  come."  I 
tell  you  it  is  hy]_iocrisy.  Shall  such  prayers  be  heard  ?  Un- 
less men  are  willing  to  deny  themselves,  I  would  not  give  a 
groat  for  the  prayers  of  as  many  such  professors  as  would 
cover  the  whole  United  States. 

These  things  must  be  taught  to  young  converts.  It  must 
come  to  this  point  in  the  church,  that  men  shall  not  be  called 
Christians,  unless  they  will  cut  off  the  right  hand,  and  pluck 
out  the  right  eye,  and  deny  themselves  for  Clirist's  sake.  A 
httle  tiling  ?  See  it  poison  the  si^irit  of  prayer  I  See  it  de- 
base and  sensuahze  the  soul  I  Is  that  a  triile  bencatli  the 
dignity  of  the  pulpit?  When  these  intemperate  indulgoncea 
of  one  kind  and  another,  cost  the  chui'ch  five  times  if  not 
fifty  times  more  than  all  they  do  for  the  sfUvation  of  the  world. 

An  estimate  has  recently  been  made,  showing  that  the 
United  States  consume  seven  millions  of  dollars  worth  o* 
coffee  yearly  ;  and  who  does  not  know  that  a  great  part  of 
this  is  consumed  by  the  church.  And  yet,  grave  ministers  and 
members  of  Christian  churches  are  not  ashamed  to  be  seen 
countenancing  this  enormous  waste  of  money  ;  while,  at  the 
same  time,  the  poor  heathen  are  sending  upon  every  ^vind  of 
heaven  their  agonizing  wail  for  help.  Heaven  calls  fi'om 
above,  "  go  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  Hell 
groans  from  beneath,  and  ten  tliousand  voices  cry  out  from 
heaven,  ejirth  and  hell,  "  Do  something  to  save  the  world  /"  Do 
it  now.  Oh,  NOW,  or  luilhons  more  are  in  lioU  thi'ough  your 
neglect  And  oh,  tell  it  not  in  Gath,  the  chiu-ch,  the  minidry, 
wiU  not  deny  even  their  lusts  to  save  a  workL  Is  this  Chri»> 
tianity  ?  What  business  have  you  to  use  Clunst's  money  for 
such  a  purpose  ?  Are  you  a  steward  ?  Who  gave  you  this 
liberty  ?  Look  to  it,  lest  it  should  be  found  at  last  that  you 
have  prefen-ed  self-gratification  to  obechence,  and  made  a 
**god  of  youi-  belly." 

The  time  to  teach  these  things  with  effect  is  when  they  ai-« 


400  INSTRUCTION    OF    YOUNG    COITV^EETS. 

young  converts.  If  they  are  not  properly  taught  then,  if  they 
get  a  wi'ong  habit,  and  begin  with  an  easy,  self-indulgent  mode 
of  living,  it  is  rare  that  they  are  ever  thorouglily  reformed.  I 
have  conversed  with  old  professors  on  these  subjects,  and 
have  been  astonished  at  their  pertinacious  obstinacy  in  in- 
dulging theu'  lusts.  And  I  am  satisfied  that  the  church 
never  can  rise  out  of  this  sloth  until  young  converts  are  faith- 
fully taught  in  the  outset  of  their  religious  course  to  be  tem- 
perate in  all  things. 

7.  They  should  be  taught  to  have  just  as  much  religion  in 
all  their  business,  as  they  have  in  prayer,  or  in  going  to  meet- 
ing. They  should  be  just  as  holy,  just  as  watchful,  aim  just 
as  singly  at  the  glory  of  Grod,  be  just  as  sincere  and  solemn 
in  all  their  daily  employments,  as  when  they  come  to  the 
throne  of  grace.  If  they  are  not,  their  Sabbath  perform- 
ances will  be  an  abomination. 

8.  They  should  be  taught  that  it  is  necessary  for  them  to 
bejiistas  hdy  as  they  think  ministers  ought  to  he.  There  has  for 
a  long  time  been  an  idea  that  ministers  are  bound  to  be  holy 
and  practise  self-deniaL  And  so  they  are.  But  it  is  strange 
they  should  suppose  that  ministers  are  bound  to  be  any  more 
holy  than  other  people.  They  would  be  shocked  to  see  a 
minister  show  levity,  or  running  after  the  fashions,  or  getting 
out  of  temper,  or  hving  in  a  fine  house,  or  riding  in  a  coach. 
Oh,  that  is  dreadful.  It  does  not  look  weD  in  a  minister. 
Indeed !  For  a  minister's  wife  to  wear  such  a  fine  bonnet, 
or  such  a  silk  shawl.  Oh,  no.  But  they  think  nothing  of  all 
this  in  a  layman  or  a  layman's  wife.  That  is  no  offence  at  all. 
I  am  not  saying  that  these  things  do  look  well  in  a  minister  ; 
I  know  they  do  not  But  they  look,  in  God's  eyes,  just  as 
weU  in  a  minister  as  they  do  in  a  laymam  You  have  no  more 
right  to  iudulge  in  vanity  and  folly  and  pride  than  a  minister. 
Can  you  go  to  heaven  without  being  sanctified  ?  Can  you  be 
holy  without  Hving  for  God,  and  doing  all  that  you  do  to  his 
glory?  I  have  heard  professedly  good  men  speak  against 
ministers  having  lai'ge  salaries,  and  Hving  in  an  expensive 
style,  when  they  themselves  were  actually  spending  a  great 
deal  more  money  for  the  support  of  their  famiHes  than  any 
ministers.  What  would  be  thought  of  a  minister  Hving  in  the 
style  in  which  many  professors  of  reHgion  and  elders  of 
churches  are  Hving  in  this  city  ?  Why  everybody  would  say 
that  they  were  hypocrites.  But,  it  is  just  as  much  an  evi- 
dence of  hypocrisy  in  a  layman  to  spend  God's  money  to 
gratify  his  lusts,  or  to  please  the  worlcj  or  his  family,  as  it  is 
tor  a  minister  to  do  the  same.     It  is  distressing  to  hear  some 


nCBTRUCTION    OF    TOTJNO   COISTVERTS.  401 

of  our  foremost  laymen  talk  of  its  being  dishonorable  to  re- 
ligion  to  give  ministers  a  large  salary,  and  let  them  Kve  in  an 
expensive  style,  when  it  is  a  fact  that  their  own  expenses  are, 
for  the  number  of  their  families  and  the  compajiy  they  have 
far  above  that  of  any  minister.  AH  this  arises  out  of  funda- 
mentally wrong  notions  hnbibed  while  they  were  yoong  con- 
verts. Young  converts  have  been  taught  to  expect  that  min- 
isters will  have  all  the  religion,  especially  aU  the  self-denial, 
and  so  long  as  this  continues  there  can  be  no  hope  that  the 
church  will  ever  do  much  for  the  glory  of  God,  or  the  conver- 
sion of  the  world.  There  is  nothing  of  all  this  in  the  Bible. 
Where  has  God  said,  "  You,  ministers,  love  God  with  aU  your 
heart  and  soul  and  mind  and  strength,"  or  "  You,  ministers, 
do  all  that  you  do  to  the  glory  of  God  ?  "  This  is  said  to  all 
ahke,  and  he  who  attempts  to  excuse  himself  from  any  duty 
or  self-denial,  from  any  watchfulness  or  sobriety,  by  putting 
it  off  upon  ministers,  or  who  ventures  to  adopt  a  lower  scale 
of  holy  Hving  for  himself  than  he  thinks  is  proper  for  a  min- 
ister, is  in  great  danger  of  proving  himself  a  hypocrite,  and 
paying  the  forfeit  of  his  foohshness  in  helL 

Much  depends  on  the  instructions  given  to  young  converts, 
K  they  once  get  into  the  habit  of  supposing  that  they  may  in- 
dulge in  things  which  they  would  condemn  in  a  minister,  it  ifl 
ten  to  one  if  they  ever  get  out  of  it. 

8.  They  should  aim  at  beirig  perfect  Every  young  convert  / 
should  be  taught  that  if  it  is  not  his  purpose  to  Uve  without  ' 
sin,  he  has  not  yet  begun  to  be  religious.  What  is  religion, 
but  supreme  love  to  God  and  a  supreme  purpose  of  heaxt  or 
disposition  to  obey  God.  If  there  is  not  this,  there  is  no  re- 
ligion at  all.  It  is  one  thing  to  profess  to  be  perfect,  Eind  an- 
other thing  to  profess  and  feel  that  you  ought  to  be  perfect  It 
is  one  thing  to  say  that  men  ought  to  be  perfect,  and  can  be 
if  they  are  so  disposed,  and  another  thing  to  say  that  they  are 

rrfeci  If  any  are  prepared  to  say  that  they  are  perfect,  all 
have  to  say  is.  Let  them  prove  it.  If  they  are  so,  I  hope 
they  will  show  it  by  their  actions,  otherwise  we  can  never  be- 
lieve they  are  perfect 

But  it  is  the  duty  of  aU  to  be  perfect  and  to  purpose  entire, 
perpetual  and  universal  obedience  to  G^d.  It  should  be 
their  constant  purpose  to  hve  whoUy  to  God,  and  obey  all  his 
commandments.  They  should  live  so  that  if  they  should  sin 
it  would  be  an  inconsistency,  an  exception,  an  individual  case, 
in  which  they  act  contrary  to  the  fixed  and  general  purpose 
find  tenor  of  their  Hves.  They  ought  rw^  to  sin  at  all ;  they 
are  bound  to  be  as  holy  as  God  is,  and  young  converts  ^ould 


403  nrsTEircTiON  of  YomrG  cotstvekts. 

be  taught  to  set  out  in  the  right  course,  or  they  will  never  be 
right. 

9.  They  stould  be  taught  to  exhibit  their  light. 

If  the  young  convert  does  not  exhibit  his  hght,  and  hold  it 
up  to  the  world,  it  will  go  out.  If  he  does  not  bestir  himself, 
and  go  forth  and  try  to  enlighten  th  3se  around  him,  his  Hght 
will  go  out,  and  his  own  soul  will  soon  be  in  darkness. 
Sometimes  young  converts  seem  disposed  to  be  still  and  not  do 
anything  in  public  till  they  get  a  great  deal  of  Hght,  or  a  great 
deal  of  rehgion.  But  this  is  not  the  way.  Let  the  convert 
use  what  he  has  ;  let  him  hold  up  his  little  twinkling  rush- 
light boldly  and  honestly,  and  then  God  will  pour  in  the  oil 
and  make  him  like  a  blazing  torch.  But  God  will  not  take 
the  trouble  to  keep  a  light  burning  that  is  hid.  Why  should 
he  ?    Where  is  the  use  ? 

This  is  the  reason  why  so  many  people  enjoy  so  Httle  in  re- 
hgion. They  do  not  exert  themselves  to  honor  God.  They 
keep  what  Httle  they  do  enjoy  so  entirely  to  themselves,  that 
there  is  no  good  reason  why  God  should  bestow  blessings  and 
benefits  on  them. 

10.  They  should  be  taught  how  to  win  souls  to  GhnsL 
Young  converts  should  be  taught  particularly  what  to  do  for 
this,  and  how  to  do  it,  and  then  taught  to  Hve  for  this  end  as 
the  great  leading  object  of  life.  How  strange  has  been  the 
course  sometimes  pursued.  These  persons  have  been  con- 
verted, and  there  they  are.  They  get  into  the  church,  and 
then  they  are  left  to  go  along  in  their  business  just  as  they 
did  before  ;  they  do  nothing  and  are  taught  to  do  nothing  for 
Christ,  and  the  only  change  is  that  they  go  more  regularly  to 
church  on  the  Sabbath,  and  let  the  minister  feed  them,  as  it 
is  called.  But  suppose  he  does  feed  them,  they  do  not  grow 
strong,  for  they  cannot  digest  it,  because  they  take  no  exei> 
cise.  They  become  spiritual  dyspeptics.  Now  the  great 
object  for  which  Chi-istians  are  converted  and  left  in  this 
world,  is  to  pull  sinners  out  of  the  fire.  If  they  do  not  effect 
this,  they  had  better  be  dead.  And  young  converts  should 
be  taught  this  as  soon  as  they  are  born  into  the  kingdom. 
The  first  thing  they  do  should  be  to  go  to  work  for  this  end, 
to  save  sinners. 

n.  I  am  to  show  how  young  converts  should  be  treated  bj^ 
the  church. 

1.  Old  professors  avughi  to  he  able  to  give  young  converts  k 
great  deal  of  instruction,  and  they  ought  to  give  it.  The  truth 
is,  however,  that  the  great  body  of  professors  in  the  churchea 
do  not  know  b':»w  to  give  good  instructron  to  young  converta. 


nrsTRxrcnoir  of  young  oonv^eetb.  40i 

and  if  they  attempt  to  give  them  instruction,  give  only  that 
which  is  false.  The  church  ought  to  be  able  to  teach  her 
children  ;  and  when  she  receives  them,  she  ought  to  be  as 
busy  in  training  them  to  act,  as  mothers  are  in  teaching  their 
Uttle  childi'eu  such  things  as  they  will  need  to  know  and  do 
hereafter.  But  this  is  far  enough  fi'om  being  the  case  gen- 
erally. And  we  can  never  expect  to  see  young  converts  ha- 
bitually taking  right  hold  of  duty,  and  going  straight  forward 
without  declension  and  backslichng,  until  young  converts 
shall  be  intelligently  trained  by  the  church. 

2.  Young  converts  should  not  be  kept  back  behind  the  rest 
of  the  chui'ch.  How  often  is  it  found  that  the  old  professor 
will  keep  the  young  converts  back  behind  the  rest  of  the 
church,  and  prevent  them  from  taking  any  active  part  in  re- 
ligion, for  fear  they  should  become  spiritually  proud.  Young 
converts  in  such  churches  are  rarely  or  never  called  on  to 
take  a  part  in  meetings,  or  set  to  any  active  duty,  or  the  like, 
for  fear  they  should  become  lifted  up  with  qnritual  pride. 
Thus  the  church  become  the  modest  keepers  of  their  humihty, 
and  teach  them  to  file  in  behind  the  old,  stiff,  di-y,  cold  mem- 
bers and  elders,  for  fear  that  if  they  are  allowed  to  do  any 
thing  for  Christ,  it  will  make  them  proud.  Whereas,  the 
very  way  to  make  young  converts  humble  and  keep  them  so, 
is  to  put  them  to  their  work  and  keep  them  there.  That  is 
the  way  to  keep  G-od  with  them,  and  as  long  as  God  is  with 
them.  He  will  take  care  of  their  humihty.  Keep  them  con- 
stantly engaged  in  rehgion,  and  then  the  Spirit  of  God  will 
dwell  with  ttiem,  and  then  they  will  be  kept  humble  by  the 
most  effectual  process.  But  if  young  converts  are  left  to  fall 
in  behind  the  old  professoi*s,  where  they  never  can  do  any- 
thing, they  will  never  know  what  spirit  they  are  of,  and  this 
is  the  very  way  to  run  them  into  danger  of  the  worst  species 
of  spiritual  pride. 

3.  They  should  be  watched  over  by  the  church,  and 
warned  of  their  dangers,  just  as  a  tender  mother  watches 
over  her  young  children.  Young  converts  do  not  know  at  all 
the  dangers  by  which  they  are  sun'ounded.  The  devices  of 
the  devil,  the  temptations  of  the  world,  the  power  of  their 
own  passions  and  habits,  and  tht»  thousand  forms  of  danger 
they  do  not  know  ;  and  if  not  proj^ej-ly  watched  and  warned, 
they  will  run  light  into  danger.  See  that  mother  watching 
her  httle  child.  Does  she  let  it  put  its  little  hand  in  the  can- 
dle, or  allow  it  to  creep  where  it  will  fall,  because  its  ovm 
blindness  and  ignorance  does  not  prevent  it  from  desiring  to 
do  so?     The  chui'ch  should  watch   over  and  care  for  her 


404  iNSTEucnoir  of  yotjng  comriiETBL 

young  chilireii,  jnst  as  mothers  watch  their  little  children  in 
this  great  city,  for  fear  the  carts  may  run  over  them,  or  they 
may  stray  away  and  be  lost ;  or  as  they  watch  them  while 
growing  up,  for  fear  they  may  be  drawn  into  the  whirlpools 
of  iniquity.  The  church  should  watch  over  all  the  interests 
of  her  young  members,  know  where  they  are,  and  what  are 
their  habits,  temptations,  dangers,  privileges,  state  of  religion 
in  their  hearts,  spirit  of  prayer.  Look  at  that  anxious  moth- 
er, when  she  sees  paleness  gather  round  the  little  brow  of  her 
child.  "  What  is  the  matter  with  you,  my  child  ?  Have  yon 
eaten  something  improper  ?  Have  you  taken  cold  ?  What 
ails  you  ? "  Oh,  how  different  it  is  with,  the  children  of  the 
church,  the  lambs  that  the  Saviour  has  committed  to  the  care 
of  his  churches.  Alas  1  instead  of  restraining  her  children, 
and  taking  care  of  them,  the  church  lets  them  go  anywhere, 
and  look  out  for  themselves.  What  should  we  say  of  a 
mother  who  should  knowingly  let  her  Httle  child  totter  along 
to  the  edge  of  a  precipice  ?  Should  we  not  say  she  was 
horribly  guilty  for  doing  so,  and  that  if  the  child  should  fall 
and  be  killed,  its  blood  would  rest  on  the  mother's  head  ? 
What  then  is  the  guilt  of  the  church,  iu  knowingly  neglecting 
her  young  converts  ?  I  have  known  churches  where  young 
converts  were  first  totally  neglected,  and  regarded  with  sus 
picion  and  jealousy ;  nobody  went  near  them  to  sti-engthen 
or  encourage  or  counsel  them  ;  nothing  was  done  to  lead 
them  to  usefulness,  to  teach  them  what  to  do,  or  how  to  do  it, 
or  open  to  them  a  field  of  labor.  And  then — what  then? 
Why,  when  they  find  that  young  converts  cannot  stand  every- 
thing, and  find  them  growing  cold  and  backward  under  their 
own  treatment,  they  just  turn  round  and  abuse  them  because 
they  did  not  hold  out 

4.  Be  tender  in  reproving  them.  When  Christians  find  it 
necessary  to  reprove  young  converts,  they  should  be  ex- 
ceedingly careful  of  their  manner  lq  doing  ii  Young  con- 
verts should  be  faithfully  watched  over  by  flie  elder  members 
of  the  church,  and  when  they  begin  to  lose  ground,  or  to 
turn  aside,  they  should  be  promptly  admonished,  and  if 
necessary,  reproved-  But  to  do  it  in  a  wrong  manner  is 
worse  than  not  to  do  it.  It  is  sometimes  done  in  a  manner 
that  is  abrupt,  harsh,  coarse,  and  apparently  censorious, 
more  Hke  scoldiog  than  like  brotherly  admonition.  Such  a 
manner,  instead  of  iuspiring  confidence,  or  loading  to  refor- 
mation, is  just  calciilated  to  harden  the  heart  of  the  young 
convert,  and  confirm  him  iu  his  wrong  courses,  while  aA 
the  same  time  it  closes  his  mind  against  the  iofiuence  oi 


uwrKucnoN  of  ToimG  coiro^rB.  40S 

BQch  censorious  guardians.  The  heart  of  a  young  convert 
is  tender,  and  easily  grieved,  and  sometimes  a  single  xm- 
kind  look  will  set  him  into  such  a  state  of  mind  as  wi]l  fa& 
ten  his  errors  upon  him  and  make  hiTD  grow  worse  and 
worse. 

You  who  are  parents  know  how  important  it  is  when  you 
reprove  your  children  that  they  should  see  that  you  do  it 
from  the  best  of  motives,  for  their  benefit,  because  you  wish 
them  to  be  good,  and  not  because  you  are  angry.  Otherwise 
they  will  soon  come  to  regai'd  you  as  a  tyrant,  rather  than  a 
friend.  Just  so  with  young  converta  Kindness  and  tender- 
ness, even  in  reproof,  will  win  their  confidence,  and  attach 
them  to  you,  and  give  an  influence  to  your  brotherly  in- 
structions and  counsels,  so  that  you  can  mould  them  into 
finished  Christians.  Instead  of  this,  if  you  are  severe  and 
critical  m  your  manner,  that  is  the  way  to  make  them  think 
you  wish  to  lord  it  over  them.  Many  persons,  under  pre- 
tence of  being  faithful,  as  they  call  it,  often  hurt  young  con- 
verts in  such  a  severe  and  overbearing  manner  as  to  drive 
them  away,  or  perhaps  crush  them  iato  despondency  and 
apathy.  Young  converts  have  but  Httle  experience,  and  are 
easily  thrown  down.  They  are  just  hke  a  little  child  when  it 
first  begins  to  walk.  You  see  it  tottering  along,  and  there  it 
stumbles  over  a  straw.  You  see  the  mother  take  up  every- 
thing from  the  floor  when  her  httle  one  is  going  to  try  to 
walk.  Just  so  with  young  converts.  The  church  ought  to 
take  up  every  stumbling  block,  and  treat  them  in  such  a  way 
as  to  make  them  see  that  if  they  are  reproved,  Christ  is  in  it, 
and  then  they  will  receive  it  as  it  is  meant,  and  it  will  do 
them  good- 

5.  Kindly  point  out  things  thai  are  faulty  in  the  young  convert 
which  he  does  not  sea  He  is  but  a  child,  and  knows  but  ht- 
tle about  rehgion,  and  will  of  course  have  a  great  many  things 
that  he  needs  to  learn,  and  a  great  many  that  he  oughc  to 
mend-  ^Vhatever  there  is  that  is  wrong  in  spirit,  or  unlovely 
in  his  deportment,  or  uncultivated  in  manner,  that  will  impede 
his  usefidness  or  impair  his  influence  as  a  Christian,  ought  to 
be  kindly  pointed  out  and  corrected.  To  do  this  in  the  right 
way,  however,  requires  great  wisdom.  Christians  ought  to 
make  it  a  subject  of  much  prayer  and  reflection,  that  they  may 
do  it  right,  so  as  not  to  do  more  hurt  than  good.  If  you  re- 
buke him  merely  for  the  things  that  he  did  not  see,  or  did  not 
know  to  be  improper,  it  will  grieve  and  disgust  him.  Such 
instruction  should  be  carefully  timed  ;  often  it  is  well  to  take 
the  opportunity  after  you  have  been  praying  together,  or  afte» 


406  msTRtrcTiON  of  youn(J  cokterts. 

a  kind  conversation  on  religious  subjects,  calculated  to  make 
him  feel  that  you  love  him,  and  seek  his  good,  and  earnestly 
desire  to  promote  his  sanctification,  his  usefulness,  and  hia 
happiness.  Then  a  mere  hint  will  often  do  the  work.  Just 
suggest  that  "  Such  a  thing  in  your  prayer"  or  "  your  conduct 
so  and  so,  did  not  strike  me  pleasantly.  Had  you  not  better 
think  of  it,  and  perhaps  you  will  judge  better  to  avoid  the  same 
thing  again."  Do  it  right,  and  you  will  help  and  do  him  good. 
Do  it  ^vrong  and  you  will  do  ten  times  more  hurt  than  good. 
Often  young  converts  will  err,  through  ignorance  ;  their  judg- 
ment is  unripe,  and  they  need  time  to  think  and  make  up  an 
enhghtened  judgment,  on  some  point  that  at  first  appears  to 
them  doubtfuL  In  such  cases  the  church  should  treat  them 
with  great  kindness  and  forbearance.  Should  kindly  instruct 
them  and  not  denounce  them  at  once  for  not  seeing,  at  first, 
what  perhaps  they  did  not  themselves  understand,  for  years 
after  they  were  converted. 

,'  6.  Do  not  qieak  of  thefavJts  of  young  converts,  behind  their 
backs.  This  is  quite  too  common  among  old  professors,  and 
by  and  by  they  hear  of  it ;  and  what  an  influence  it  must  have 
to  destroy  the  confidence  of  young  converts  in  their  elder 
brethren,  to  grieve  their  hearts  and  discourage  them,  and  pei> 
haps  drive  them  away  from  the  good  influence  of  the  church. 
EQ.  I  am  to  mention  some  of  the  evils  of  defective  instnio- 
fcion  to  young  converts. 

1.  K  not  fully  instructed,  they  never  will  be  fuUy  grounded 
in  right  principles.  If  they  have  right  fundamental  principles, 
this  wiU  lead  them  to  adopt  a  right  course  of  conduct  in  all 
particular  cases.  In  forming  a  Christian  character,  a  great 
deal  depends  on  estabhshing  those  fundamental  principles 
which  are  correct  on  aU  subjects.  If  you  look  at  the  Bible 
you  will  see  there,  that  God  teaches  right  principles  which  we 
can  carry  out  in  detail  in  right  conduct  If  the  education  of 
young  converts  is  defective,  either  in  kind  or  degree,  you  wiU 
see  it  in  their  character  all  their  hves.  This  is  the  philosophi- 
cal result,  just  what  might  be  expected,  and  must  be  always 
so.  It  could  be  shown,  if  I  had  time,  that  almost  aU  the 
practical  errors  that  have  prevailed  in  the  church,  are  the  nar 
tural  results  of  certain  false  dogmas,  which  have  been  taught 
to  young  converts,  and  which  they  have  been  made  to  swal- 
low as  lie  truth  of  God.  at  a  time  when  they  were  so  :'gno- 
rant  as  not  to  know  any  better. 

2.  If  the  instruction  given  to  young  converts  is  not  correct 
and  full,  they  will  not  grow  in  grace,  but  their  religion  will 
dwindle  away  and  decay.     Their  course  instead  of  being  like 


nrsmsnoTioN  op  yottng  coNTP.Rra,  401 

tihe  path  of  the  just,  growing  brighter  and  brighter  to  the  per- 
fect day,  will  grow  dimmer  and  dimmer,  and  decay  and  finally 
perhaps  go  out  in  darkness.  Wherever  you  see  young  con- 
verts let  their  religion  taper  off  till  it  comes  to  nothing,  you 
may  understand  that  it  is  the  proper  result  of  defective  in- 
struction. The  philosopliical  resiilt  of  teaching  young  converts 
the  truth,  and  the  whole  truth,  is  that  they  grow  stronger  and 
stronger.  Truth  is  the  food  for  the  mind — it  is  what  gives 
the  mind  strength.  And  where  religious  character  grows  fee- 
ble, rely  upon  it,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  it  is  owing  to  their 
being  neglected,  or  falsely  instructed,  when  they  were  young 
converts. 

3.  They  will  be  left  justly  in  doubt  whether  they  are  Chris- 
tians. If  their  early  instniction  is  false,  or  defective,  there 
will  be  so  much  inconsistency  in  their  Hves,  and  so  httle  real 
evidence  of  real  piety,  that  they  themselves  will  finally  doubt 
whether  they  have  any.  Probably  they  will  hve  and  die  in 
doubt.  You  cannot  make  a  httle  evidence  go  a  great  way. 
If  they  do  not  see  clearly  they  wiU  not  hve  consistently,  if 
they  do  not  hve  consistently  they  cam  have  but  httle  evidence, 
and  if  they  have  not  evidence  they  must  doubt,  or  hve  in  pre- 
sumption. 

4.  If  young  converts  are  rightly  instructed  and  trained,  it 
will  generally  be  ^een  that  they  will  take  the  right  side  on  all 
great  subjects  that  come  before  the  chiu'ch.  Subjects  are  con- 
tinually coming  up  before  the  churches,  on  which  they  have 
to  take  ground,  and  on  many  of  them  there  is  often  no  little 
difficulty  to  make  aU  the  chui-ch  take  right  ground  Take  the 
subject  of  Tracts,  or  jVIissions,  or  Sabbath  schools,  or  Tem- 
perance, for  instance,  and  what  cavils  and  objections,  and  re- 
sistance, and  opposition,  have  been  encountered  from  mem- 
bers of  the  church  in  different  places.  Go  through  the 
churches,  and  where  you  find  young  converts  have  been  well 
taught,  you  never  find  ihem  making  difficulty,  or  raising  ob- 
jections, or  putting  forth  cavils.  I  do  not  hesitate  to  charge 
it  upon  pastors  and  older  members  of  churches,  that  there  are 
so  many  who  have  to  be  dragged  up  to  the  right  gi-ound  on  all 
such  subjects.  If  they  had  grounded  them  well  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Gospel  at  the  outset,  when  they  were  first  con- 
verted, they  would  have  seen  the  application  ol'  their  principles 
to  all  these  things.  It  is  curious  to  see,  and  I  have  had  great 
opportunity  to  see,  how  ready  young  converts  are  to  take 
right  ground  on  any  subject  that  may  be  proposed.  See  what 
they  are  willing  to  do  for  the  education  of  ministers,  for  mi€ 
sions,  for  moral  reform,  for  the  slaves.     If  the  great  body  o. 


408  nrsTBUcnoN  or  toting  coi!ro:ipnL 

yoimg  converts  from  the  late  revivals  liad  been  well  gronnde<3 
in  Gospel  principles,  you  would  have  founr*  in  them,  through- 
out the  church,  but  one  heart  and  one  sor  in  regard  to  every 
question  of  duty  that  occiu-s.  Let  theh  early  education  be 
right,  and  you  have  got  a  body  of  (^.fistians  that  you  can 
depend  on.  If  it  had  been  genera'  in  the  church,  oh,  how 
much  more  strength  there  would  \dve  been  in  all  her  great 
movements  for  the  salvation  of  tho  world. 

5.  If  yoimg  converts  are  not  well  instructed  they  will  inevi- 
tably backshde.  If  their  instruction  is  defective,  they  will 
probably  hve  in  such  a  way  as  to  disgrace  religion.  The  truth, 
kept  steadily  before  the  mind  of  a  young  convert,  in  proper 
proportions,  has  a  natural  tendency  to  make  him  grow  up  into 
the  fulness  of  the  stature  of  a  perfect  man  in  Christ  Jesus.  If 
any  one  point  is  made  too  prominent  in  the  instruction  given, 
there  will  probably  be  just  that  disproportion  m  his  charac- 
ter. If  he  is  fuUy  instructed  on  some  points  and  not  in 
others,  you  will  find  a  corresponding  defect  in  his  life  and 
character. 

If  the  instruction  of  young  converts  is  greatly  defective, 
they  win  press  on  in  rehgion  no  further  than  they  are  strongly 
propelled  by  the  emotions  of  their  first  conversion.  As  soon 
as  that  is  spent  they  will  come  to  a  stand,  and  then  they  will 
decline  and  backshde.  And  ever  after  you  will  find  that  they 
will  go  forward  only  when  aroused  by  some  powerful  excite- 
ment. These  are  your  periodical  Christians,  that  are  so  apt 
to  wake  up  in  a  time  of  revival,  and  bluster  about  as  if  they 
had  the  zeal  of  an  angel,  a  few  days,  and  then  die  away  as 
dead  and  cold  as  a  northern  winter.  Oh  how  desirable,  how 
infinitely  important  it  is,  that  young  converts  should  be  so 
taught,  that  their  rehgion  will  not  depend  on  impulses  and 
excitements,  but  that  they  will  go  steadily  onward  in  the 
Christian  course,  advancing  from  strength  to  strength,  giving 
forth  a  clear  and  safe  and  steady  hght  all  around. 

BEMARKS. 

1.  The  church  is  verily  guilty  for  her  past  neglect^  in  regard 
to  the  instruction  of  young  converts. 

Instead  of  bringing  up  their  young  converts  to  be  working 
Christians,  the  churches  have  generally  sicted  as  if  they  did 
not  know  how  to  employ  young  converts,  or  what  use  to 
make  of  them.  They  have  acted  like  a  mother,  who  has  a 
great  fairdly  of  daughters,  and  knows  nothing  how  to  set 
fchom   to  work  and  so  suffers  them  to  grow  up  idle  and  ui> 


msTKUcnoN  op  young  convebts.  409 

langht,  useless  and  despised,  and  to  be  the  easy  prey  of  every 

designing  villain. 

If  the  church  had  only  done  her  duty  in  training  up  young 
£»nverts  to  work,  and  labor  for  Christ,  the  world  would  have 
oeen  converted  long  ago.  But  instead  of  this,  how  many 
fjhurches  even  oppose  young  converts,  when  they  attempt  to 
set  themselves  at  work  for  Christ.  Multitudes  of  old  profes- 
sors look  with  suspicion  upon  every  movement  of  young  con- 
certs, and  talk  against  them,  and  say,  "  They  are  too  forward, 
they  ought  not  to  put  themselves  forward,  but  wait  for  those 
who  are  older."  There  is  wailing  again.  Instead  of  bidding 
young  converts  "  God  speed,"  aoid  cheering  them  on  when 
Uiey  take  hold  with  warm  hearts  and  strong  hands,  very  often 
chey  hinder  them  and  perhaps  put  them  down.  How  often 
tiave  young  converts  been  stopped  from  going  forward,  and 
fcumed  in  behind  a  formal,  lazy,  inefficient  church,  till  their 
spirit  is  crushed,  and  their  zeal  extinguished,  and  after  a  few 
uieffectual  struggles  to  throw  off  the  cords,  they  conclude  to 
3it  down  with  the  rest  and  WAIT.  In  many  places,  young 
converts  cannot  even  attempt  to  hold  a  prayer  meeting  by 
themselves,  but  what  the  pastor,  or  some  of  the  deacons,  re- 
buke them  for  being  so  forward,  and  charge  them  with  spir- 
itual prida  *•  Oh,  ho  !  you  are  young  converts,  are  you  ?  and  so 
^ou  want  to  get  together  and  call  all  the  neighbors  together 
to  look  at  you,  because  you  are  yoimg  converts."  You  had 
better  turn  preachers  at  once.  A  celebrated  Doctor  of  Divin- 
ity in  New  England  boasted  at  a  public  table  of  his  success  in 
keeping  aU  his  converts  still.  He  had  great  difficulty,  he  said, 
for  they  were  in  a  terrible  fever  to  do  something,  to  talk,  or 
pray,  or  get  up  meetings,  but  by  the  gi-eatest  vigilance  he  haA. 
kept  it  all  down,  and  now  his  church  was  just  as  quiet  as  it 
was  before  the  revival  Wonderful  achievement  for  a  minia- 
ker  of  Jesus  Christ !  Was  that  what  the  blessed  Saviour 
meant  when  he  told  Peter,  "  Feed  my  lambs  ?  " 

2.  Young  converts  should  be  trained  to  labor,  just  as  care- 
fully as  young  recruits  in  an  army  are  trained  for  war. 

Suppose  a  captain  in  the  army  should  get  his  company 
enlisted,  and  then  take  no  more  pains  to  teach  and  train  and 
discipline  them,  than  is  taken  by  many  pastors  to  train  and 
lead  forward  their  young  converts.  Why,  the  enemy  would 
laugh  at  such  an  army.  CaU  them  soldiers  I  Why,  as  to  any 
effective  service,  they  are  in  a  mere  state  of  babyhood,  they 
know  nothing  what  to  do  or  how  to  do  it,  and  if  you  bring 
them  up  to  the  CHAEGE,  where  are  they  ?  Such  an  army 
r:>uld  resemble  the  church  that  does  not  train  her  young 
iii 


410  INSTRUCTION   OF   YOUNG    OONTBBTB. 

converts.  Instead  of  being  trained  to  stand  shoulder  ta 
shoulder  in  the  onset,  they  feel  no  practical  confidence  in 
their  leaders,  no  confidence  in  their  neighbors,  no  confidence 
in  themselves,  and  they  scatter  at  the  first  shock  of  battle. 
Look  at  the  church  now.  Ministers  are  not  agreed  as  to 
what  shall  be  done,  and  many  of  them  will  tnm  and  fight 
back  against  their  brethren,  quan^eUing  about  New  Measures, 
or  the  Act  and  Testimony,  or  something.  And  as  to  the 
members,  they  cannot  feel  confidence  when  they  see  theii 
leaders  so  divided.  And  then  if  they  attempt  to  do  anything — 
Alas !  alas !  what  ignorance,  what  awkwardness,  what  discord, 
what  weakness,  what  miserable  work  they  make  of  i  And 
so  it  must  continue,  imtil  the  church  shall  train  isjp  young 
converts  to  be  be  intelligent,  single-hearted,  seh-denying, 
working  Christians.  Here  is  an  enterprise  now  going  on  in 
this  city,  which  I  rejoice  to  see.  I  mean  the  Tract  enter- 
prise— a  blessed  work.  And  the  plan  is  to  train  up  a  body 
of  devoted  Christians  to  do — what? — why  to  do  what  afl 
the  church  ought  to  have  been  trained  to  do  long  ago,  to 
know  how  to  pray,  and  how  to  converse  with  people  about 
their  soul's  salvation,  and  how  to  attend  anxious  meetings, 
aaid  how  to  deal  with  inquirers,  and  how  to  SAVE  SOULS. 

3.  The  church  has  entirely  mistaken  the  manner  in  which 
she  is  to  be  sanctified. 

The  experiment  has  been  carried  on  long  enough,  of  trying 
to  sanctify  the  church,  without  finding  an^d^hmg  for  them  to 
do.  But  holiness  consists  in  obeying  God.  And  sanctifica- 
tion,  as  a  process,  means  obeying  him  more  and  more  per- 
fectly. And  the  way  to  promote  it  in  the  church,  is  to  give 
every  one  something  to  do.  Look  at  these  great  churches, 
where  they  have  500  or  700  members,  and  get  a  minister  to 
feed  them  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath,  while  there  are  so  many 
of  them  together  that  the  greater  part  have  nothing  at  all 
to  do,  are  never  trained  to  make  any  direct  efforts  for  the 
salvation  of  souls.  And  in  that  way  they  are  expecting  to  be 
sanctified  and  prepared  for  heavem  They  never  will  be  sanc- 
tified so.  That  is  not  the  way  God  has  appointed.  Jesus 
Christ  has  made  his  people  co-workers  with  him  in  saving 
sinners,  for  this  very  reason,  because  sanctification  consists  in 
doing  those  things  which  are  required  to  promote  this  work. 
This  is  one  reason  why  he  has  not  employed  angels  in  the 
work,  or  carried  it  on  by  direct  revelation  of  truth  to  the 
minds  of  men.  It  is  because  it  is  necessary  as  a  means  of 
sanctification,  that  the  church  should  sympathize  with  Christ 
in  his  feelings  and  his  labors  for  the  conversion  of  sinners- 


EfSTEUCnON    OF    YOTTNG    CONTKRTi.  411 

And  in  this  way  the  entire  church  must  move,  before  the 
world  will  be  converted  When  the  day  comes,  that  the  whole 
church  shall  realize  that  they  are  herb  on  earth  as  a  body  of 
missionaries,  and  shah  Hve  and  labor  accordingly,  then  will 
the  day  of  man's  redemption  draw  nigh. 

Christian  I  if  you  camiot  go  abroad  to  labor,  why  are  yon 
not  a  missionary  in  your  own  family  ?  If  you  are  too  feeble 
even  to  leave  your  room,  be  a  missionary  there  in  your  bed- 
chamber. How  many  imconverted  servants  have  you  in  your 
house  ?  Call  in  your  unconverted  servants,  and  your  uncon- 
verted children,  and  be  a  missionary  to  them.  Think  of  your 
physician,  perhaps,  who  is  laying  himself  out  to  save  your 
body,  while  he  is  losing  his  own  soul,  and  you  receive  his 
kindness  and  never  make  him  the  greatest  return  in  your 
power. 

It  is  necessary  that  the  church  should  take  hold  of  her 
young  converts  at  the  outset,  and  set  them  to  work,  and  set 
them  to  work  right  The  hope  of  the  church  is  in  the  young 
converts. 

4.  We  see  what  a  responsibility  rests  on  ministers,  and 
elders,  and  all  who  have  opportimity  to  assist  in  training 
yoimg  converts.  How  distressing  is  the  picture  which  often 
forces  itself  upon  the  mind,  where  multitudes  are  converted, 
and  yet  so  httle  pains  taken  with  the  young  converts,  that  in 
a  single  year  you  cannot  teU  the  young  converts  from  the 
rest  of  the  chui-ch.  And  then  to  see  the  old  church  mem- 
bers turn  round  and  complain  of  these  young  converts,  and 
perhaps  slander  them,  when  in  truth  these  old  professors 
themselves  are  most  to  blame.  Oh,  it  is  too  bad.  This  reao 
Hon  that  people  talk  so  much  about  after  a  revival,  (as  if  re 
action  was  the  necessary  effect  of  a  revival,)  would  nevei 
come,  young  converts  never  would  backsHde  as  they  do,  if 
the  church  were  prompt  and  faithful  in  attending  to  their 
instruction.  If  they  are  truly  converted,  they  can  be  made 
thorough  and  energetic  Christians.  And  if  they  are  not  such, 
Jesus  Christ  will  require  it  at  the  hands  of  the  church. 


LECTUEE  XXI 


bAOKSLIDEB     IN     HEART. 


TaxT.— The  backslider  in  heart  shall  be  filled  with  his  own  ways.— Paov.  xIt.  14. 

I  CANNOT  conclude  this  course  of  lectures,  without  warning 
converts  against  backsliding.  In  discussing  this  subject,  I 
will  state, 

L  What  backsliding  in  heart  is  not 
n.  What  backsHding  in  heart  is. 
nL  What  are  evidences  of  backsliding  in  heart 
rV.  Show  what  are  consequences  of  backshding  in  heart 
V.  How  to  recover  from  this  state. 
I.  What  backshding  in  heart  is  7wi, 
1.  It  does  not  consist  in  the  subsidence  of  highly  excited 
rehgious  emotions.     The  subsidence  of  rehgious  feeling  may 
be  an  evidence  of  a  backslidden  heart,  but  it  does  not  consist 
in  the  cooling  off  of  religious  feeling. 
n.  What  backshding  in  heart  is. 

1.  It  consists  in  taking  back  that  consecration  to  God  and 
his  service,  that  constitutes  true  conversion. 

2.  It  is  the  leaving,  by  a  Christian,  of  his  fii'st  love. 

3.  It  consists  in  the  Christian's  withdrawing  himself  from 
that  state  of  entire  and  universal  devotion  to  God,  which  con- 
stitutes true  religion,  and  coming  again  imder  the  control  of  a 
Belf-pleasing  spirit 

4  The  text  implies  that  there  may  be  a  backsHdden  heart, 
when  the  form  of  rehgion  and  obedience  to  God  are  main- 
tained    As  we  know  from  consciousness  that  men  perform 
the  same,  or  similar  acts  from  widely  different,  and  often  from 
opposite  motives,  we  are  certain  that  men  may  keep  up  all  the 
outward  forms  and  appearances  of  rehgion,  when  in  fact,  they 
are  backslidden  in  heart.     There  is  no  doubt  that  the  most 
intense  selfishness  often  takes  on  a  rehgious  type,  and  there 
are  many  considerations,  that  might  lead  a  backslider  in  heart, 
to  keep  up  the  forms,  while  he  had  lost  the  power  of  godlir 
ness  in  his  souL 
ITT.  What  are  evidences  of  a  backsHdden  heart 
1,  Manifest  formahty  in  rehgious  exercises.    A  stei'eotyped 
(412^ 


BACKSLIDER    IK   HEART.  41t 

ft>rmal  way  of  Baying  and  doing  things,  that  is  clearly  the  re- 
sult of  habit,  rather  than  the  ontgushing  of  the  rehgious  life. 
This  formahty  will  be  emotionless  and  cold  as  an  iceberg,  and 
will  evince  a  total  want  of  earnestness  in  the  performan^je 
of  religious  duty.  In  prayer  and  in  religous  exercises  the 
backslider  in  heart  will  pray  or  praise,  or  confess,  or  give 
thanks  with  his  Ups,  so  that  all  can  hear  him,  perhaps,  but  in 
such  a  way  that  no  one  can  ffel  him.  Such  a  formality  would 
be  impossible  where  there  existed  a  present,  living  faith  and 
love,  and  religious  zeal. 

2.  A  want  of  rehgious  enjoyment  is  evidence  of  a  back- 
shdden  heart.  We  always  enjoy  the  saying  and  doing  of 
those  things  that  please  those  whom  we  most  love  ;  further- 
more, when  the  heart  is  not  backslidden,  conmiunion  with  God 
is  kept  up,  and  therefore  all  religious  duties  are  not  only  per- 
formed with  pleasure,  but  the  communion  with  God  involved 
in  them,  is  a  source  of  rich  and  continual  enjoyment.  If  we 
do  not  enjoi/  the  service  of  God,  it  is  because  we  do  not  truly 
serve  hhn.  If  we  hve  Rim  supremely,  it  is  impossible  that 
we  should  not  enjoy  His  service  at  every  step.  Always  re 
member  then,  whenever  you  lose  your  rehgious  enjoyment,  oi 
the  enjoyment  of  serving  God,  you  may  know  that  you  are 
not  serviQg  Him  right. 

3.  Religious  bondage  is  another  evidence  of  a  backsHdden 
heart.  God  has  no  slaves.  He  does  not  accept  the  service 
oL  bondmen,  who  serve  him  because  they  must.  He  accepts 
none  but  a  love  service.  A  backslider  in  heart,  finds  his  re- 
ligious duties  a  biu"den  to  him.  He  has  promised  to  serve 
the  Lord.  He  dare  not  wholly  break  oflf  fiom  the /orm  of 
service,  and  he  tries  to  be  dutiful,  while  he  has  no  heart  in 
prayer,  in  praise,  in  worship,  in  closet  duties,  or  in  any  of 
those  exercises  which  ai*e  so  spontaneous  and  delightful, 
where  there  is  true  love  to  God.  The  backsUder  in  heart  is 
often  like  a  dutiful,  but  unloving  wife.  She  tries  to  do  her  duty 
to  her  husband,  but  fails  utterly  because  she  does  not  love  him. 
Her  painstaking  to  please  her  husband  is  constrained,  not  the 
spontaneous  outburst  of  a  loving  heart,  and  her  relation,  and 
her  duties,  become  the  burden  of  her  life.  She  goes  about 
lomplainiQg  of  the  weight  of  care  that  is  upon  her,  and  wall 
not  be  hkely  to  advise  young  ladies  to  mai*ry.  She  is  com- 
mitted for  life,  and  mu^  therefore  pei-form  the  duties  of  mai^ 
ried  life,  but  oh,  it  is  such  a  bondage  1  Just  so  with  religious 
bondage.  The  professor  must  perform  his  duty.  He  drags 
painfully  about  it,  and  you  will  hear  him  naturally  sing  back- 
slider's hymns, 


il4  aACKSLIDEB   IN    HBABT. 

Reason  I  hear,  her  counsels  weigh, 

And  all  her  words  approve  ; 
And  yet  I  find  it  hard  to  obey, 

And  harder  still,  to  love." 

4.  An  ungovemed  temper. 

While  the  heart  is  full  of  love,  the  temper  will  naturally  b« 
chastened  and  sweet,  or  at  any  rate,  the  unU  will  keep  it  un- 
der, and  not  suffer  it  to  break  out  in  outrageous  abuse,  or  if 
at  any  time,  it  should  so  far  escape  from  the  control  of  the 
will  as  to  break  loose  in  hateful  words,  it  will  soon  be  brought 
imder,  and  by  no  means  suffered  to  take  the  control  and 
manifest  itseK  to  the  annoyance  of  others.  Especially  will  a 
loving  heart  confess  and  breaJi  down,  if  at  any  time  bad  tem- 
per gets  the  control  Wherever,  therefore,  there  is  an  irritar 
ble,  uncontrolled  temper  allowed  to  manifest  itself  to  those 
around  one,  you  may  know  there  is  a  backslidden  heart. 

5.  A  spirit  of  uncharitableness  is  evidence  of  a  b^ksHdden 
heart.  By  this,  I  mean  a  want  of  that  disposition  that  puts 
the  best  construction  upon  every  one's  conduct  that  can  be 
reasonable — a  want  of  confidence  in  the  good  intentions  and 
professions  of  others.  We  naturally  credit  the  good  profes- 
sions of  those  whom  we  love.  We  natm-aUy  attribute  to 
them  right  motives,  and  put  the  best  allowable  construction 
upon  their  words  and  deeds.  Where  there  is  a  want  of  this 
there  is  evidence  conclusive  of  a  backsHdden  or  unloving 
heart 

6.  A  censorious  spirit  is  conclusive  evidence  of  a  backslid- 
den heart.  This  is  a  spirit  of  fault-finding,  of  impugning  the 
motives  of  others,  when  their  conduct  admits  of  a  charitable 
construction.  It  is  a  disposition  to  fasten  blame  upon  others, 
and  judge  them  harshly.  It  is  a  spirit  of  distrust  of  Chris- 
tian character  and  professions.  It  is  a  state  of  mind  that  re- 
veals itself  in  harsh  judgments,  harsh  sayings,  and  the  mani- 
festation of  uncomfortable  feelings  toward  individuals.  This 
state  of  mind  is  entirely  incompatible  with  a  loving  heart, 
and  wherever  a  censorious  spirit  is  manifested  by  a  profes- 
sor of  religion,  you  may  know  there  is  a  backslidden  heart. 

7.  A  want  of  interest  in  God's  word,  is  also  an  evidence 
of  a  backsHdden  heart.  Perhaps  nothing  more  conclusively 
proves  that  a  professor  has  a  backshdden  heart,  than  his  los- 
ing his  interest  in  the  Bible.  While  the  heart  is  full  of  love, 
no  book  in  the  world  is  so  precious  as  the  Bible.  But  when 
the  love  is  gone,  the  Bible  becomes  not  only  uninteresting  bui 
f^ffcen  repulsive.     There  is  no  faith  to  accept  its  promises,  but 


BACKSLIDER    IN    HEART.  415 

conviction  enongh  left  to  dread  its  threatenings.  But  in  gen- 
eral the  backslider  in  heart  is  apathetic  as  to  the  Bible.  He 
does  not  read  it  much,  and  when  he  does  read  it,  he  has  not 
interest  enough  to  understand  it.  Its  pages  become  dark 
and  uninteresting,  and  therefore  it  is  neglected- 

8.  A  want  of  interest  in  secret  prayer  is  also  an  evidenoe 
of  a  backsHdden  heai*t 

Young  Christian  !  If  you  find  yourself  losing  your  interest 
in  the  Bible  and  in  secret  prayer,  stop  short,  return  to  God, 
and  give  yourself  no  rest,  tiU  you  enjoy  the  light  of  his  coun- 
tenance. If  you  feel  disinclined  to  pray,  or  read  your  Bible, 
if  when  you  pray  and  read  your  Bible,  you  have  no  heart  in 
it,  no  enjo}Tnent,  if  you  are  incHned  to  make  your  secret  de- 
votions short,  or,  are  easily  induced  to  neglect  them,  if  your 
thoughts,  affections  and  emotions  wander,  and  your  closet 
duties  become  a  burden,  you  may  know  that  you  are  a  back- 
slider in  heart,  and  your  first  business  is,  to  break  down,  and 
see  that  your  love  and  zeal  are  renewed. 

9.  A  want  of  interest  in  the  conversion  of  souls  and  in  ef- 
forts to  promote  revivals  of  religion.  This  of  coiu'se  reveals 
a  backslidden  heart.  There  is  nothing  in  which  a  loving 
heart  takes  more  interest  than  in  the  conversion  of  souls  in 
revivals  of  religion,  and  in  efforts  to  x^romote  them. 

10.  A  want  of  interest  in  pubUshed  accounts  or  narratives 
of  revivals  of  religion,  is  also  an  evidence  of  a  backsHdden 
heart.  While  one  retains  his  interest  in  the  conversion  of 
souls,  and  in  revivals  of  religion  he  will,  of  course,  be  interest^ 
ed  in  all  accounts  of  revivals  of  rehgion  anywhere.  If  you 
find  yourself,  therefore,  disinclined  to  read  such  accounts,  or 
find  yourself  not  interested  in  them,  take  it  for  granted  that 
you  are  backslidden  in  heart 

11.  The  same  is  true  of  missions,  and  missionary  work  and 
operations.  If  you  lose  your  interest  ui  the  work,  and  in  the 
conversion  of  the  heathen,  and  do  not  delight  to  read  and 
hear  of  the  success  of  missions,  you  may  know  that  you  are 
backsHdden  in  heart 

12.  The  loss  of  interest  in  benevolent  enterprises  generally 
is  an  evidence  of  a  backsHdden  heart  I  say  the  loss  of  in- 
terest, for  surely,  if  you  were  ever  converted  to  Christ,  you 
have  had  an  interest  in  aU  benevolent  enterprises  that  came 
within  your  knowledge  ReHgion  consists  in  disinterested 
benevolence.  Of  course,  a  converted  soul  takes  the  deepest 
interest  ia  all  benevolent  efforts  to  reform  and  save  mankind 
In  good  government,  in  Christian  education,  in  the  cause  of 
Wmperanoe,  in  the  aboHtion  of  slavery,  in  provisions  for  the 


416  BACKSLIDES   IN    HEART. 

poor,  and  in  short,  in  every  good  word  and  work,  jnst  in  pro< 
portion  as  you  have  lost  your  interest  in  these,  you  have  evi- 
dence that  you  are  backsHdden  in  heart. 

13.  The  loss  of  interest  in  truly  spiritual  conversation  is 
another  evidence  of  a  backslidden  heart  "  Out  of  the  abun- 
dance of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh."  This  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  announced  as  a  law  of  our  nature.  No  conversa- 
tion is  so  sweet  to  a  truly  loving  heart,  as  that  which  relates 
to  Christ,  and  to  our  hving  Christian  experience.  If  you  find 
yoiu-self  losing  interest  in  conversing  of  heart  rehgion,  and 
of  the  various  and  wonderful  experiences  of  Christians,  if 
you  ever  knew  what  the  true  love  of  God  is,  you  have  fallen 
from  it,  and  are  a  backsHder  in  heart 

14  A  loss  of  interest  in  the  conversation  and  society  of 
highly  spiritual  people,  is  an  evidence  of  a  backshdden  heart. 
We  take  the  greatest  dehght  in  the  society  of  those  who  are 
most  interested  in  the  thmgs  that  are  most  dear  to  us.  Hence, 
a  loving  Christian  heart  will  alwaj^s  seek  the  society  of  those 
who  are  most  spiritually-minded,  and  whose  conversation  is 
most  evangehcal  and  spiritual.  If  you  find  yourself  wanting 
in  this  respect,  know  for  certain  that  you  are  backslidden  in 
heart 

15.  The  loss  of  interest  in  the  question  of  sanctification  is 
an  evidence  of  a  backslidden  heart.  I  say  again,  the  loss  of 
interest,  for,  if  you  ever  truly  knew  the  love  of  God,  you  must 
have  had  a  great  interest  in  the  question  of  entire  consecra- 
tion to  God,  or  of  entire  sanctification.  If  you  are  a  Chri* 
tian,  you  have  felt  that  sin  was  an  abomination  to  your  soul. 
You  have  had  inexpressible  longings  to  be  rid  of  it  forever, 
and  everything  that  could  throw  hght  upon  that  question  of 
agonizing  importance,  was  most  intensely  interesting  to  you. 
If  this  question  has  been  dismissed,  and  you  no  longer  take 
an  interest  in  it,  it  is  because  you  are  backslidden  in  heart 

16.  The  loss  of  interest  in  those  newly  converted,  is  also 
an  evidence  of  a  backslidden  heart  The  Psalmist  says,  "  All 
who  fear  thee  will  be  glad  when  they  see  me,  because  I  have 
hoped  in  thy  word"  This  he  puts  iato  the  mouth  of  a  con- 
vert, and  who  does  not  know  that  this  is  true  ?  Why,  there 
is  joy  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God,  over  one  sinner 
that  repenteth,  and  is  there  not  joy  among  the  saints  on 
earth,  over  those  that  come  to  Christ,  and  are  as  babes  newly 
bom  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Show  me  a  professor  of 
religion,  who  does  not  manifest  an  absorbing  interest  in  con- 
verts to  Christ,  and  I  wiU  show  you  a  backsHder  in  heart,  and 
a  hypocrite  ;  he  professes  religion,  and  has  nona. 


BACKSLID EB    IN    HBABT.  417 

17.  An  Ttncharitable  state  of  mind  in  regard  to  professed 

eonverts,  is  also  an  evidence  of  a  backslidden  heart  Charity 
or  love,  hopeth  all  things,  and  believeth  all  things,  and  is  very 
ready  to  judge  kinrlly  and  favorably  of  •those  who  profess  to 
be  converted  to  Christ,  will  naturally  watch  over  them  with 
interest,  pray  for  them,  instruct  them,  and  have  as  much  con 
fidence  in  them  as  it  is  reasonable  to  have.  A  disposition, 
therfciore,  to  pick  at,  criticise^  and  censure  them,  is  an  evi 
dence  of  a  backshdden  heart. 

18.  The  want  of  the  qArit  of  prayer  is  evidence  of  a  back 
shdden  heart  \Vhile  the  love  of  Christ  remains  fresh  iu  the 
soul,  the  iudwelling  spirit  of  Christ  will  reveal  himself  as  the 
spirit  of  grace  and  supphcation.  He  will  beget  strong  desires 
ID  the  soul  for  the  salvation  of  sinncfs»  and  the  sanctification 
of  saints.  He  \\t11  often  make  intes-cessions  id  them,  with 
great  longings,  strong  cr)dng  and  t;e.ars,  and  with  groanings 
that  cannot  be  uttered  in  words,  for  those  things  that  are  ac- 
cording to  the  will  of  God,  or  to  express  it  in  Scripture  lan- 
guage, according  to  Paul,  Romans  viii.  26  and  27,  "  Likewise 
Qie  Spiiit  also  helpeth  our  infirmities,  for  we  know  not  what 
we  should  pray  for  as  we  ought,  but  the  Spirit  itself,  maketh 
intercession  for  us,  with  groanings  which  cannot  be  uttered. 
And  he  that  searcheth  the  hearts  knoweth  the  mind  of  the 
Spirit,  because  he  maketh  intercession  for  the  saints,  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  God."  If  the  spirit  of  j)rayer  departs,  it  is 
a  sure  indication  of  a  backshdden  heart,  for  while  the  first 
love  of  a  Christian  continues  he  is  sure  to  be  drawn  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  wrestle  much  in  prayer. 

19.  A  backshdden  heart  often  reveals  itself  by  the  manner 
in  which  people  pray.  For  example,  prating  as  if  one  was 
in  a  state  of  self-condemnation,  or  very  much  like  a  convicted 
sinner,  is  an  evidence  of  a  backshdden  heart,  Such  an  one 
will  reveal  the  fact,  that  he  is  not  at  peace  with  God.  His 
confessions  and  self-accusations  will  show  to  others  what  per- 
haps he  does  not  well  understand  himself.  His  manner  of 
praying  will  reveal  the  fact,  that  he  has  not  communion  with 
God  ;  that  instead  of  being  filled  with  faith  and  love,  he  is 
more  or  less  convicted  of  sin,  and  conscious  that  he  is  not  in 
a  state  of  acceptance  with  God.  He  vrill  natui-ally  pray  more 
like  a  convicted  sinner,  than  hke  a  Christian  It  will  be  seen 
by  his  prayer  that  he  is  not  in  a  state  of  Christian  hberty — 
that  he  is  having  a  7th  of  Romans  experience,  instead  of  tliat 
which  is  described  in  the  8  th  of  Romana 

20.  A  backshdden  heart  will  further  reveal  itself  in  praying 
almost  exclusively  for  self,  and  for  those  friends  that  are  re- 

18* 


418  RACKSluTDEB    IN    HBAJETT, 

^rded  as  parts  of  sell  It  is  often  very  strildng  and  even 
shocking  to  attend  a  backslider's  prayer  meeting,  and  I  am 
very  sorry  to  say  that  many  prayer  meetings  of  the  church 
are  little  else.  Their  prayers  are  timid  and  hesitating,  and 
reveal  the  fact  that  they  have  little  or  no  faith.  Instead  of 
surrounding  the  throne  of  grace  and  pouring  their  hearts  out 
for  a  blessing  on  those  around  them,  they  have  to  be  urged  up 
to  duty,  to  take  up  their  cross.  Their  hearts  do  not,  mil  not, 
spontaneously  gush  out  to  God  in  prayer.  They  have  very 
Uttle  concern  for  others,  and  when  they  do,  as  they  say,  take 
up  their  cross  and  do  their  duty,  and  pretend  to  lead  in 
prayer,  it  will  be  observed  that  they  pray  just  like  a  company 
of  convicted  sinners,  almost  altogether  for  themselves.  They 
will  pray  for  that,  which,  should  they  obtain  it,  would  be  re- 
ligion, just  as  a  convicted  simier  would  pray  for  a  new  heart, 
and  praying  for  religion  as  they  do,  manifests  that  they  have 
none,  in  their  present  state  of  mind.  Ask  them  to  pray  for 
the  conversion  of  sinners,  and  they  will  either  wholly  forget 
it,  or  just  mention  them  in  such  a  way  as  will  show  that  they 
have  no  heart  to  pray  for  them.  I  have  known  professed 
Christian  parents  to  get  into  such  a  state  that  they  had  no 
heart  to  pray  for  the  conversion  of  their  ovm  children,  even 
when  those  children  were  under  conviction.  They  would 
keep  up  family  prayer,  and  attend  a  weekly  prayer  meeting, 
and  never  get  out  of  the  old  rut,  of  praying  round  and  round 
for  themselves.  A  few  years  since,  I  was  laboring  in  a  revival 
in  a  Presbyterian  church.  At  the  close  of  the  evening  ser- 
mon, I  found  that  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  elders  of  the 
church,  was  in  great  distress  of  mind.  I  observed  her  con- 
victions were  very  deep.  We  had  been  holdiug  a  meeting 
vdth  inquirers  in  the  vestry,  and  I  had  just  dismissed  the  in- 
quirers, when  this  young  lady,  came  to  me  in  great  agitation, 
and  begged  me  to  pray  for  her.  The  people  had  mostiy  gone, 
except  a  few  that  were  waiting  in  the  body  of  the  church  for 
those  friends  to  be  dismissed  that  had  attended  the  meeting 
of  inquiry.  I  called  the  father  of  this  young  lady  into  the 
vestry  that  he  might  see  the  very  anxious  state  of  his  daugh- 
ter's mind.  After  a  short  personal  conversation  with  her  in 
the  presence  of  her  father,  I  called  on  him  to  pray  for  her, 
and  said  that  I  would  follow  him,  and  urged  her  to  give  her 
heart  to  Christ  We  all  knelt,  and  he  went  through  with  his 
prayer,  kneeling  by  the  side  of  his  sobbing  daughter,  without 
ever  mentioning  her  case.  His  prayer  revealed  that  he  had 
no  more  religion  than  she  had,  and  that  he  was  very  much  in 
her  state  of  mind — ^under  an  awful  sense  of  condemnation. 


BACKBLIDEB   ZS   HE  AST.  419 

He  had  kept  up  the  appearance  of  religioiL  As  an  elder  of 
the  church,  he  was  obliged  to  keep  up  appearances.  He  had 
gone  round  and  round  upon  the  tread-mill  of  his  duties, 
while  his  heart  was  utterly  backsHdden.  It  is  often  almost 
nauseating  to  attend  a  prayer  meeting  of  the  backslidden  in 
heart.  They  will  go  roimd,  round,  one  after  the  other,  in 
reahty  praying  for  their  own  conversion.  They  do  not  so  ex- 
press it,  but  that  is  the  real  import  of  their  prayer.  They 
could  not  render  it  more  evident  that  they  are  backsliders 
in  heart,  if  they  were  every  one  to  take  his  oath  of  it. 

21.  Absence  from  stated  prayer  meetings  for  slight  reasons 
is  a  sure  indication  of  a  backshdden  heart.  No  meeting  is 
more  uiterestuig  to  a  wakeful  Christian  than  the  prayer  meet- 
ing, and  while  they  have  any  heart  to  pray,  they  wiU  not  be 
absent  from  prayer  meeting  unless  prevented  from  attending 
by  the  providence  of  God.  If  a  caU  from  a  friend  at  the 
hour  of  meeting,  can  prevent  their  attendance,  unless  the  caU 
be  made  under  very  pecuhar  circumstances,  it  is  strong  evi- 
dence that  they  do  not  im^  to  attend,  and  hence,  that  they 
ftre  backsliders  in  heai*t  A  call  at  such  a  time  would  not 
prevent  their  attending  a  wedding,  a  party,  a  pic-nic,  or  an 
amusing  lecture.  The  fact  is,  it  is  hypocrisy  for  them  to  pre- 
tend that  they  really  mant  to  go,  while  they  can  be  kept  away 
for  slight  reasona  If  it  were  any  place  where  they  much  de- 
sired to  go,  they  would  excuse  themselves,  and  say,  "  I  was 
just  going  to  ride,"  or,  "I  was  just  going  to  such  a  place." 
and  away  they  would  go. 

22.  The  same  is  true  of  the  neglect  of  family  prayer,  for 
slight  reasons. 

While  the  heart  is  engaged  in  religion.  Christians  will 
not  readily  omit  family  devotions,  and  whenever  they  are 
ready  to  find  an  excuse  for  the  omission,  it  is  a  sure  evidence 
that  they  are  backshdden  in  heart 

23.  When  secret  prayer  is  regarded  more  sts  a  duty  than  as 
a  privilege,  it  is  because  the  heart  is  backshdden.  It  has  al- 
ways appeared  to  me  almost  ridiculous,  to  hear  Christians 
speak  of  prayer  as  a  duty.  It  is  one  of  the  greatest  of  earthly 
privileges.  What  should  wo  think  of  a  child's  coming  to  its 
parent  for  its  dinner,  not  because  it  was  hungry,  but  as  a 
duty.  How  would  it  strike  us  to  hear  a  beggar  speak  of  the 
duty  of  asking  alms  of  us.  It  is  an  infinite  privilege  to  be 
allowed  to  come  to  God,  and  ask  for  the  supply  of  all  our 
wants.  But  to  pray  because  we  must,  rather  than  be- 
cjause  we  may,  seems  unnaturEd.  To  ask  for  what  we 
want.   <md  because  we  want  it,   and  because  Grod  has  en- 


420  BACKSLIDER    IN    HEABT. 

oouraged  us  to  ask,  and  has  promised  to  answer  our  request, 
is  natural  and  reasonable.  But  to  pray  as  a  duty  and  as  if 
we  were  obliging  God  by  oui*  prayer,  is  quite  ridiculous,  and 
is  a  certain  indication  of  a  backslidden  heart. 

24.  Pleading  for  worldly  amusements,  is  also  an  indication 
of  a  backshdden  heart  The  most  grateful  amusements  pos- 
sible, to  a  truly  spiritual  mind,  are  those  engagements  thai 
bring  the  soul  into  the  most  direct  communion  with  God. 
While  the  heart  is  full  of  love  and  faith,  an  hour,  or  an  even- 
ing spent  alone,  in  communion  with  God,  is  more  deHghtful 
than  all  the  amusements  which  the  world  can  offer.  A  loving 
heart  is  jealous  of  everything  that  will  break  up  or  interfere 
with  its  communion  witii  God.  For  mere  worldly  amusements 
it  has  no  rehsh.  When  the  soul  does  not  find  more  dehght 
in  God  than  in  all  worldly  things,  the  heart  is  sadly  back- 
slidden. 

25.  Spiritual  blindness  is  another  evidence  of  a  backslidden 
heart.  While  the  eye  is  single  the  whole  body  will  be  fuU  of 
spiritual  light,  but  if  the  eye  be  evil,  (which  is  a  backshddeB 
heart)  the  whole  body  will  be  full  of  darkness. 

Si)iritual  blindness  reveals  itself  in  a  want  of  interest  in 
God's  word,  and  in  rehgious  truth  generally.  It  will  also 
manifest  a  want  of  spiritual  discrimination,  and  will  be  easily 
imposed  upon  by  the  insinuations  of  Satan.  A  backshdden 
heart  will  lead  to  the  adoption  of  lax  principles  of  morality- 
It  does  not  discern  the  spirituahty  of  God's  law,  and  of  His 
requirements  generally.  When  this  spiritual  blindness  is 
manifest  it  is  a  sure  indication  that  the  heart  is  back- 
Bhdden. 

26.  Keligious  apathy,  with  warldty  wakefulness  and  sensi- 
bility, is  a  sure  indication  of  a  backshdden  heart.  We  some- 
times see  persons  who  feel  deeply  and  quicldy  on  worldly 
subjects,  but  who  cannot  be  made  to  feel  deeply  on  rehgioua 
subjects.  This  clearly  indicates  a  backshdden  state  of 
mind. 

27.  A  seK-indulgent  spirit  is  a  sure  indication  of  a  back- 
slidden heart.  By  self-indulgence,  I  mean  a  disposition  to 
gratify  the  appetites,  passions  and  propensities,  "  to  fulfill  the 
desires  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  mind." 

This,  in  the  Bible,  is  represented  as  a  state  of  sphitual 
death.  I  am  satisfied  that  the  most  common  occasion  of 
backshding  in  heart,  is  to  be  fomid  in  the  clamor  for  indul* 
gence  of  the  various  appetites  and  propensities.  The  appe- 
tite for  food  is  frequently,  and  perhaps  more  frequently  than 
any  other,  tlie  occasion  of  backshding.      Few  Chiistians,  I 


BACKSLIDER   IN    HKABT.  431 

fear,  apprehend  any  danger  in  this  direction.  God's  injnno- 
kion  is,  "  Whether  ye  eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ve  do,  do 
all  to  the  glory  of  God"  Christians  forget  this,  a^^  eat 
and  drink  to  please  themselves — consult  their  appetites,  in- 
stead of  the  laws  of  life  and  health.  More  persons  are  en- 
snared by  their  tables  than  the  church  is  aware  of.  The 
table  is  a  snare  of  death  to  multitudes  that  no  man  can  num- 
ber. A  great  many  people  who  avoid  alcoholic  drinks  alto- 
gether, will  indulge  in  tea  and  coffee,  and  even  tobacco,  and 
in  food,  both  in  quantity  and  quahty  that  violates  every  law 
of  health.  They  seem  to  have  no  other  law,  than  that  of  ap- 
petite, and  this  they  so  deprave  by  abuse  that,  to  indulge 
it,  is  to  ruin  body  and  soul  together.  Show  me  a  gluttonous 
professor,  and  I  will  show  you  a  backshder. 

28.  A  seared  conscience  is  also  an  evidence  of  a  backsHdden 
heari  While  the  soul  is  wakeful  and  loving,  the  consdenca 
is  as  tender  as  the  apple  of  the  eye.  But  when  the  heart  is 
backslidden,  the  conscience  is  silent  and  seared,  on  many  sub- 
jects. Such  an  one  will  teU  you  that  he  is  not  violating  his 
conscience,  in  eating  or  drinking,  or  in  self-indulgence  of  any 
kind.  You  will  find  a  backshder  has  but  Httle  conscience. 
The  same  will  be  true  in  regard  to  sins  of  omission  very 
generally.  Multitudes  of  duties  may  be  neglected  and  a  seared 
conscience  will  remain  silent  Where  conscience  is  not  awake, 
the  heart  is  surely  backslidden. 

29.  Loose  moral  principles  are  a  sure  indication  of  a  back- 
slidden heart.  A  backshder  in  heart,  will  wiite  letters  on  the 
Sabbath,  engage  in  secular  reading,  and  in  much  worldly 
conversation.  In  business,  such  an  one  will  take  little  advan- 
tages, and  play  off  business  tricks,  conform  to  the  habits  of 
worldly  business  men,  in  the  transaction  of  business,  vnU  be 
guilty  of  deception  and  misrepresentation  in  making  bargains, 
will  demand  exorbitant  interest,  and  take  advantage  of  the 
necessities  of  his  fellow  men. 

30.  Prevalence  of  the  fear  of  man,  is  an  evidence  of  a 
backsHdden  heart.  While  the  heart  is  full  of  the  love  of  God, 
God  is  feared,  and  not  man.  A  desire  for  the  applause  of 
men  is  kept  down,  and  it  is  enough  for  such  an  one  to  please 
God,  whether  men  are  pleased  or  displeased-  But  when  the 
love  of  God  is  abated,  "  the  fear  of  man,  that  bringeth  a 
snare,"  gets  possession  of  man.  To  please  man  rather  than 
Gk)d,  is  then  his  aim.  In  such  a  state  he  wiU  sooner  offend 
God  than  man. 

31.  A  stickhshness  about  forms,  ceremonies,  and  non-essen- 
tials, is  evidence  of  a  backslidden  heart     A  loving  heart,  is 


42S  BACfRSLTDBB   IN   HEABT. 

particular  only  about  the  substance  and  power  of  religion,  and 
will  not  stickle  about  its  forms. 

32.  A  captiousuess  about  measures  in  promoting  revivals 
of  religion,  is  a  sui-e  evidence  of  a  backslidden  heart.  Where 
the  heai't  is  fully  set  upon  the  conversion  of  sinners,  and  the 
sanctification  of  believers,  it  will  naturally  approach  the  sub- 
ject in  the  most  dii-ect  manner,  and  by  means  in  the  highest 
degree  calculated  to  accomplish  the  end.  It  will  not  object 
to,  and  stumble  at,  measures  that  are  evidently  blessed  of 
God,  but  will  exert  its  utmost  sagacity  in  devising  the 
most  suitable  means  to  accomphsh  the  great  end  on  which 
the  heart  is  set. 

IV.  Show  what  are  consequences  of  backsliding  in  heart 
The  text  says,  that  the  backslider  in  heart  shall  be  filled  with 
his  own  ways. 

1.  He  shall  be  filled  with  his  own  works.  But  these  are 
dead  works,  they  are  not  works  of  faith  and  love,  which  are 
acceptable  to  God,  but  are  the  filthy  rags  of  his  own  rightr 
eousness.  If  they  are '  performed  as  religious  services,  they 
are  but  loathsome  h^'pocrisy,  and  an  abomination  to  God, 
there  is  no  heart  in  them,  and  to  such  a  one,  God  says,  "  Who 
hath  required  this  at  your  hands  ?"  "  Ye  are  they  that  justify 
yoiu-selves  before  men,  but  God  knoweth  your  hearts  ;  for 
that  which  is  highly  esteemed  among  men,  is  an  abomination 
in  the  sight  of  God."  "  I  know  you,  that  you  have  not  the 
love  of  God  in  you." 

2.  He  shall  be  filled  with  his  own  feelings.  Instead  of  tiiat 
sweet  peace  and  rest,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  once 
experienced,  he  will  find  himself  in  a  state  of  unrest,  dissatis- 
fied with  himself  and  everybody  else,  his  feelings  often  painful, 
humihating,  and  as  unpleasant  and  unlovely,  as  can  be  well 
conceived.  It  is  often  very  trying  to  live  with  a  backslider. 
They  are  often  peevish,  censorious,  and  irritating,  in  aU  their 
ways.  They  have  forsaken  God,  and  in  their  feelings  is  more 
of  hell  than  heaven. 

3.  They  will  be  filled  with  their  own  prejudices.  Their 
willingness  to  know  and  do  the  tnith  has  gone.  They  will 
very  naturally  commit  themselves  against  any  truth  that  bears 
hard  upon  their  self-indulgent  spirit.  They  wiU  endeavor  to 
justify  themselves,  will  neither  read  nor  hear  that  which  wiH 
rebuke  their  backshdden  state,  and  they  will  become  deeply 
prejudiced  against  everyone  that  shall  cross  their  path.  II 
anyone  reproves  them,  Uiey  account  him  as  an  enemy.  They 
hedge  themselves  in,  and  shut  their  eyes  against  the  light, 
Btand  on  the  defensive,  and  criticise  everything  that  would 
search  them  out. 


BA0K8LIDEB    IN    HSAST.  A21 

4.  A  backslider  in  heart  will  be  filled  with  his  own  enmi 
ties.  Such  an  one  will  almost  surely  lay  up  things  against 
those  with  whom  he  has  any  business  or  other  relations. 
He  will  chafe  in  almost  every  relation  of  life,  will  allow  him- 
self to  be  vexed  and  angry,  and  get  into  such  relations  with 
some,  and  perhaps  many  persons,  that  he  cannot  pray  for 
them  honestly,  and  can  hardly  treat  them  with  common  civ- 
ihty.     This  is  an  almost  certain  result  of  a  backsUdden  heart. 

5.  The  backslider  in  heart  will  be  full  of  his  own  mistakea 
He  is  not  walking  with  God.  He  has  fallen  out  of  the  Divine 
order.  He  is  not  led  by  the  Spirit,  but  is  walking  in  spiritual 
dai'kness.  In  this  state  he  is  sure  to  fall  into  many  and 
grievous  mistakes,  and  may  get  entangled  in  such  a  way  as  to 
mai'  his  happiness,  and,  perhaps,  destroy  his  usefulness  for 
Ufa  Mistakes  in  business,  mistakes  in  forming  new  relations 
in  life,  mistakes  in  using  his  time,  his  tongue,  his  money,  his 
influence — all  wiU  go  wrong  with  him  as  long  as  he  remains 
in  a  backshdden  stata 

6.  The  backslider  in  heart  will  be  filled  with  his  own  lust- 
ings.  His  appetites  and  passions,  which  had  been  kept  under, 
have  now  resiimed  their  conti'ol,  and  having  been  so  long 
suppressed,  they  will  seem  to  avenge  themselves  by  becoming 
more  clamorous  and  despotic  than  ever.  The  animal  appe- 
tites and  passions  will  burst  forth,  to  the  astonishment  of  ttie 
backslider,  and  ten  to  one,  if  he  does  not  find  himself  more 
under  their  influence,  and  more  enslaved  by  them  than  ever 
befora 

7.  The  backslider  in  heart  will  he  filled  with  his  own  words. 
While  in  that  state,  he  will  not,  and  cannot,  control  his  tongue. 
It  will  prove  itself  to  be  an  unruly  member,  full  of  deadly  poi- 
son, will  set  on  fire  the  course  of  nature,  and  is  itself  set  on  fire 
of  hell.  By  his  words  he  will  involve  himself  in  many  diffi- 
culties and  perplexities,  fi-om  which  he  can  never  extricate 
himself,  until  he  comes  back  to  God 

8.  He  will  be  full  of  his  own  trials.  Instead  of  keeping 
out  of  temptation,  he  will  run  right  into  temptation.  He  will 
bring  upon  himself  multitudes  of  trials  that  he  never  would 
have  had,  had  he  not  departed  from  God.  He  wiU  complaiu 
of  his  trials,  and  yet  constantly  multiply  them.  A  backshder 
feels  his  trials  keenly,  and,  while  he  complains  of  being  so 
tried  by  everything  around  him,  he  is  constantly  aggravating 
them,  and  being  the  author  of  them,  he  seems  industrious  to 
bring  them  upon  himself,  like  an  avalanche, 

9.  The  backslider  in  heart  shall  be  fuU  of  his  own  follies. 
I'^ving  rejected  the  Divine  guidance,  he  will  evidently  faJ' 


424  BACKSLIDER    IN    HKmRT. 

into  the  depths  of  his  own  foolishness.  He  will  inevitably 
say  and  do  multitudes  of  foolish  and  ridiculous  things.  Being 
a  professor  of  religion,  these  things  will  be  all  the  more 
noticed,  and  of  course  bring  him  all  the  more  into  ridicule 
and  contempt  A  backslider  is,  indeed,  the  greatest  fool  m 
the  world.  Having  experimental  knowledge  of  the  true  way 
of  life,  he  has  the  infinite  folly  to  abandon  it.  Knowing  the 
fountain  of  living  water,  he  has  forsaken  it,  and  hewed  out 
to  himself  cisterns — broken  cisterns  that  can  hold  no  water. 
Having  been  guilty  of  this  infinite  foUy,  the  whole  course  of 
his  backslidden  life  must  be  that  of  a  fool,  in  the  Bible  sense 
of  the  term. 

10.  The  backshder  in  heart  will  be  fuU  of  his  own  troubles. 
God  is  against  him,  and  he  is  against  himself.  He  is  not  at 
peace  with  God,  with  himself,  with  u  e  church,  or  with  the 
world.  He  has  no  inward  rest.  Conse  fmce  condemns  him. 
God  condemns  him.  All  that  know  his  ht^^te  condemn  him. 
"  There  is  no  peace  to  the  wicked,  saith  my  riod. "  There  is 
no  position  in  time  or  space  in  which  he  can  be  at  rest. 

11.  The  backshder  in  heart  will  be  full  of  his  own  cares. 
He  has  turned  back  to  selfishness.  He  counts  himself  and  his 
possessions  as  his  own.  He  has  everything  to  care  for.  He 
vdll  not  hold  himself  and  his  possessions  as  belonging  to  God, 
and  lay  aside  the  responsibihty  of  taking  care  of  himself  and 
all  that  he  possesses.  He  does  not,  nxiU  not,  cast  his  care  upon 
the  Lord,  but  undertakes  to  manage  everything  for  himself, 
and  in  his  own  wisdom,  and  for  his  own  ends.  Consequently, 
his  cares  will  be  multiplied,  and  come  upon  him  Hke  a 
deluge. 

12.  The  backslider  in  heart  will  be  fuU  of  his  own  perplexi- 
ties. Having  forsaken  God,  having  fallen  out  of  his  order, 
and  iuto  the  darkness  of  his  own  foUy,  he  will  be  filled  with 
perplexities  and  doubts  in  regard  to  what  course  he  shall  pui'sue 
to  accompHsh  his  selfish  enda  He  is  not  walking  with,  but 
contrary  to  God.  Hence,  the  providence  of  God  will  con- 
stantly cross  his  path,  and  baffle  all  his  schemea  God  will 
frown  darkness  upon  his  path,  and  take  pains  to  confound  hia 
projects,  and  blow  his  schemes  to  the  winds. 

13.  The  backshder  in  heart  will  be  filled  with  his  ovra  anx- 
ieties. He  will  be  anxious  about  himseH,  about  his  business, 
about  his  reputation,  about  everything.  He  has  taken  all 
these  things  out  of  the  hands  of  God,  and  claims  them  and 
treats  them  as  his  own,  and  having  faith  in  God  no  longer, 
and  being  unable  to  control  events,  he  must  of  necessity  be 
filled  with  anxiety  vnth  regard  to  the  future.     These  anxieties 


BACESLIDBB   IN    HBART.  4M 

are  the  inevitable  result  of  his  madness  and  folly  in  forsaking 
God. 

14.  The  backslider  in  heart  will  be  filled  with  his  own  dis- 
appointments. Having  forsaken  God,  and  taken  the  attitude 
of  Belf-will  before  hini,  God  will  inevitably  disappoint  him  in 
pursuing  his  selfish  ends.  He  will  fi'ame  his  ways  io  please 
himself,  without  consulting  God.  Of  com-se  God  will  frame 
his  ways  so  as  to  dis.appoint  him.  Determined  to  have  his 
own  way,  he  will  be  greatly  disappointed  if  his  plans  are  frus- 
trated, and  the  certain  course  of  events  under  the  government 
of  God  must  of  course  biing  a  seiies  of  disappointmenta 
upon  subjects  that  have  rebelled  against  him. 

15.  The  backsHder  in  heart  must  be  full  of  his  own  lossea 
He  regards  his  possessions  as  his  own,  his  time  as  his  own, 
bis  influence  as  his  own,  his  reputation  as  his  own.  The  lose 
of  any  of  these  he  accounts  as  his  own  loss.  Having  foi> 
saken  God,  and  being  imable  to  control  the  events  upon 
which  the  continuance  of  those  things  is  conditioned,  he  will 
find  himself  suffering  losses  on  every  side.  He  loses  his 
peace.  He  loses  his  property.  He  loses  much  of  his  time. 
He  loses  his  Christian  reputation.  He  loses  his  Christian  in- 
fluence, and  if  he  persists  he  loses  his  soul. 

16.  The  backshder  in  heart  shall  be  full  of  his  own  crosses. 
All  rehgious  duty  wiQ  be  irksome,  and,  therefore,  a  ci'oss  to 
him.  His  state  of  mind  will  make  multitudes  of  things  crosses 
that  in  a  Chiistian  state  of  mind  would  have  been  pleasant  in 
a  high  degi'ee.  Haviog  lost  all  heart  ia  religion,  the  perform- 
ance of  all  religious  duties  are  crossing  to  his  feelings.  There 
is  no  help  for  him,  unless  he  returns  to  God.  The  whole 
course  of  Divine  providence  will  nm  across  his  path,  and  his 
whole  life  will  be  a  series  of  crosses  and  trials.  He  cannot 
have  his  own  way.  He  cannot  gi'atify  himself  by  accomplish- 
ing his  own  wishes  and  desires.  He  may  beat  and  dash  him- 
lelf  against  the  everlasting  rocks  of  God's  will  and  God's 
way,  but  break  through  and  carry  all  before  him  he  cannot. 
He  must  be  crossed  and  recrossed,  and  crossed  again,  imtil  he 
will  fall  into  the  Divine  order,  and  sink  mto  the  wall  of  God 

17.  The  backshder  in  heart  will  be  tilled  with  his  own  tem- 
pers. Having  forsaken  God,  he  will  be  sure  to  have  much  to 
irritate  him.  In  a  backshdden  state,  he  cannot  possess  his 
soul  in  patience.  The  vexations  of  his  backshdden  life  will 
make  him  nervous  and  irritable  ;  his  temper  will  become  ex- 
plosive and  uncontrollable. 

18.  The  backshder  in  heart  shall  be  full  of  his  own  dis- 
graces.    He  18  a  professor  of  rehgion.     The  eyes  of  the  world 


426  BA.CKSLIDEB   LET    HEAST. 

aro  upon  him,  and  all  his  inconsistencies,  worldly-mindednesBt 
follies,  bad  tempers,  and  hateful  words  and  deeds,  disgrace 
him  in  the  estimation  of  aU  men  who  know  him. 

19.  The  backslider  in  heart  will  be  full  of  his  own  delusions 
Having  an  evil  eye,  his  whole  body  wiU  be  full  of  darkness 
He  will  almost  certainly  fall  into  delusions  in  regard  to  doc- 
trines, and  in  regard  to  practices.  Wandering  on  in  darkness, 
as  he  does,  he  will,  very  likely,  swallow  the  grossest  delusions. 
Spiritism,  Mormonism,  TJniversahsm,  and  every  other  vmi 
that  is  wide  from  the  truth,  wiU  be  very  hkely  to  gain  posses- 
sion of  him.  Who  has  not  observed  this  of  backsliders  in 
h^ai-t. 

20.  The  backsHder  in  heart  wiU  be  filled  with  his  own  bond- 
age. His  profession  of  religion  brings  him  into  bondage  to 
the  church.  He  has  no  heart  to  consult  the  iuterests  of  the 
church,  or  to  labor  for  its  up-building,  and  yet  he  is  under 
covenant  obhgation  to  do  so,  and  his  reputation  is  at 
stake.  He  must  do  something  to  sustain  rehgious  institu- 
tions, but  to  do  so,  is  a  bondage.  If  he  does  it,  it  is  because 
he  miist  and  not  because  he  may.  Again,  he  is  in  bondage  to 
God.  If  he  performs  any,  that  he  calls  religious  duty,  it  is 
rather  as  a  slave  than  as  a  freeman.  He  serves  from  fear  or 
hope,  just  Kke  a  slave,  and  not  from  love.  Again,  he  is  in 
bondage  to  his  own  consdenca  To  avoid  conviction  and  re- 
morse, he  will  do  or  omit  many  things,  but  it  is  all  with  re- 
luctance, and  not  at  all  of  his  own  cordial  good  wiU. 

21.  The  backslider  in  heart  is  full  of  his  own  self-condem- 
nation. Having  enjoyed  the  love  of  God,  and  forsaken  him, 
he  feels  condemned  for  everything.  If  he  attempts  rehgious 
duty,  he  knows  there  is  no  heart  in  it,  and  hence  condemns 
himself.  If  he  neglects  religious  duty,  he  of  course  condemns 
himself.  If  he  reads  his  Bible,  it  condemns  him.  If  he  does 
not  read  it,  he  feels  condemned-  If  he  goes  to  meeting,  the 
services  condemn  him,  and  if  he  stays  away,  he  is  condemned. 
If  he  prays  in  secret,  in  his  family,  or  in  pubHc,  he  knows  he 
is  not  sincere,  and  feds  condemned  If  he  neglects  or  refuses 
to  pray,  he  feels  condemned.  Everything  condemns  him. 
His  conscience  is  up  in  arms  against  him,  and  the  thunders 
and  lightnings  of  condemnation  follow  him,  whithersoever  he 
goes. 

V.  How  to  recover  from  a  state  of  backsliding. 

1.  Remember  whence  you  are  fallen.  Take  up  the  question 
at  once,  and  deHberately  contrast  your  present  state  with  that 
in  which  you  walked  with  God. 

2.  Take  home  the  conviction  of  your  true  position.     No 


BACKSLIDER    IN    H£ABT.  itt 

kmger  delay  to  understand  the  exact  situation  between  Gtod 
and  your  soul. 

3.  Kepent  at  once,  and  do  your  first  work  over  again. 

4  Do  not  attempt  to  get  back,  by  reforming  your  mere 
outside  conduct  Begin  with  your  heart,  and  at  once  set 
yourself  right  with  God. 

6.  Do  not  act  Hke  a  mere  convicted  sioner,  and  attempt  to 
recommend  yourself  to  G-od,  by  any  impenitent  works  or 
prayers.  Do  not  think  that  you  must  refoi-m,  and  make  your- 
self better  before  you  can  come  to  Christ,  but  understand 
distinctly,  that  coming  to  Christ,  alone,  can  make  you  better. 
However  much  distressed  you  may  feel,  know  for  a  certaiaty 
that  until  you  repent  and  accept  his  will,  unconditionally, 
you  are  no  better,  but  are  constantly  growing  worse.  Until 
you  throw  youi'seli  upon  his  sovereign  mercy,  and  thus  return 
to  God,  he  will  accept  nothing  at  your  hands. 

6.  Do  not  imagine  yourself  to  be  in  a  justified  state,  for  you 
know  you  are  not.  Your  conscience  condemns  you,  and  you 
know  that  God  ought  to  condemn  you,  and  if  he  justified  you 
in  your  present  state,  your  conscience  could  not  justify  him. 
Come,  then,  to  Christ  at  once,  like  a  gmlty,  condemned  sinner, 
as  you  are,  own  up,  and  take  all  the  shame  and  blame  to 
yourself,  and  believe  tliat  notwithstanding  aU  your  wanderinga 
from  God,  he  loves  you  still — that  he  has  loved  you  witii  an 
everlafitiog  love,  and,  therefore^  with  loving  kindness  is  draw- 
ing you. 


LECTURE    XXII 


QEOWTH   m   GRACE. 


Text— Bai,  grow  In  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  oar  Lord  and  Sayloor  Jem 

ihriBt.— 2  Pet.  iii.  18. 

I  MUST  conclude  this  Course  of  Lectures  by  giving  con 
ferts  instructions  on  the  subject  of  growth  in  grace.  I  shall 
pursue  the  following  method  : 

L  What  is  grace,  as  the  term  is  here  used  ? 

n.  What  the  injimction  "to  grow  in  grace"  does  not 
mean. 

TTT.  What  it  does  mean. 

rV.  Conditions  of  growth  in  grace. 
V.  What  is  not  proof  oi  growth  in  grace. 
VL  What  is  proof  of  growth  in  grace. 

VII.  How  to  gi'ow  in  grace. 

L  What  is  grace,  as  the  term  is  here  used  ? 

1.  Grace  is  favor.  It  is  often  used  in  the  Bible  to  signify 
a  free  gift  The  grace  of  God  is  the  favor  of  God,  His  free 
gifts. 

IL  What  the  injunction  "  to  grow  in  grace  '*  does  not 
mean. 

1.  It  does  not  enjoin  the  gradual  giving  up  of  sin.  Strange 
to  tell,  it  would  seem  that  some  have  so  understood  it ;  but 
we  are  nowhere  in  the  Bible  commanded  to  give  up  sin  grad- 
ually, we  are  everywhere  commanded  to  give  it  up  instantly 
and  wholly. 

HL  What  it  does  mean. 

1.  It  enjoins  upon  us  the  duty  of  growing  in  the  favor  oi 
God,  of  growiag  in  his  esteem,  in  a  worthiness  of  hia  favor, 
and  in  his  love  of  complacency  in  us. 

IV.  Conditions  of  growth  in  grace. 

1.  Growth  or  increase  in  >nything  implies  a  beginning. 
Growth  iQ  the  favor  of  God  imp.  os  that  we  have  already  found 
favor  in  his  sight,  and  that  we  a  e  already  indebted  for  grace 
received,  and  that  we  are  already  in  grace,  in  the  sense  oi 
having  a  place  among  his  favored  onea 

2.  Consequently,  growth  in  grace  impUes  that  we  have  al- 
ready repented  of  our  sin,  have  actually  and  practically  aban- 
doned all  Imown  sin.     It  cannot  be  that  we  are  in  favor  with 

^438) 


OBOWTH  IN  aRAcn.  42* 

God  if  we  are  still  indulging  in  known  sin  against  him. 
Being  in  favor  with  God  implies,  of  course,  that  we  are  pai> 
doned  and  favored  by  him,  for  the  sake  of  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ  Pardon  is  favor,  and  impHes  the  re- 
nunciation of  rebeUion  against  God.  The  conditions  of  the 
Divine  favor,  as  revealed  in  the  Bible,  are  repentance  and 
abandonment  of  all  known  sin,  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  I  said,  as  a  condition  of  growth  in  grace,  we  must 
have  the  commencement  of  grace  ;  in  other  words,  we  must 
be  already  Christians,  must  be  in  a  state  of  acceptance  with 
God,  must  have  accepted  Christ,  so  far  as  he  is  understood, 
must  be  in  a  state  of  obedience  to  all  the  recognized  will  of 
God.  Without  this,  we  cannot  be  in  a  state  of  grace,  or  in 
the  favor  of  God.  But  being  in  this  state,  there  is  room  for 
everlasting  growth-  As  we  know  more  of  God,  we  shall  be 
capable  of  loving  him  more,  of  having  a  more  universal  and 
impUdt  confidence  in  him.  And  there  can  be  no  end  to  this 
while  we  have  any  being,  either  in  this  or  any  other  world. 
Our  love  and  confidence  in  him  may  be  complete,  so  far  as 
we  know  him.  This  love  and  confidence  will  secure  his 
favor  ;  but  there  will  be  no  end  to  our  growth  in  knowledge 
of  him,  and,  consequently,  there  is  room  for  eternal  growth 
in  gi'aoa  The  more  we  love,  the  more  we  beheve,  the  more 
we  know  of  God,  if  we  conform  to  aU  this  knowledge,  the 
more  God  must  be  pleased  with  us,  the  higher  shah  we  stand 
in  his  favor,  and  more  and  greater  gifts  he  wiU  continue  to 
bestow  upon  ua. 

3.  Of  course,  growth  in  the  knowledge  of  God  is  a  condi- 
tion of  growth  in  his  favor.  We  might  grow  in  knowledge, 
without  growing  in  his  favor,  because  we  might  not  love  and 
trust  him  in  accordance  with  this  increased  Imowledga  But 
we  cannot  love  and  trust  him  more  perfectly,  unless  we  be- 
come more  perfectly  acquainted  with  him.  If  our  love  and 
faith  keep  pace  with  our  growing  knowledge,  we  must  grow 
in  his  favor.  But  growth  in  knowledge  must  be  a  condition 
of  growth  in  love  and  faith. 

4.  Growth  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  as  revealed  in  Christ 
Jesus,  must  be  a  condition  of  growth  in  his  favor.  It  is  iD 
and  through  Christ  Jesus  that  God  reveals  himself  to  man- 
It  is  in  Christ  Jesus  that  we  get  the  true  idea  of  the  person- 
ahty  of  the  infinite  God  Hence,  the  text  says,  "  Grow  in 
grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesua 
Christ" 

5.  Growth  in  grace  is  conditioned  on  increased  knowledge 
of  what  is  involved  in  entire  cousecration  to  God. 


480  eROWTH    IN   GRAOK. 

True  conversion  to  God  involves  the  consecration  of  otu> 
selves  and  of  all  that  we  have  to  him,  so  far  as  we  understand 
what  is  implied  in  thia      But,   at  first,  converts  are  by  no 
means  aware  of  all  that  is  involved  in  the  highest  forms  of 
consecration.      They  will   soon  learn  that  there  are  certain 
things  that  they  did  not  think  of,  and  that  they  did  not  give 
up  to  God.     At  first,  perhaps^  all  that  was  in  their  thought 
was,  to  lay  their  naked  soul  upon  the  altar,  and  give  up  theu: 
whole  heart  to  God.     But  soon  they  may  learn  that  they  did 
not  think  of  all  their  possessions  and  everything  that  wan 
dear  to  them,  they  did  not  surrender  all,  and  leave  not  a  hooi 
behind.     They  surrendered  all  of  which  they  thought  at  th« 
time,  but  they  were  not  fully  enlightened,  they  did  not  think, 
nor  could  they  think,  at  the  time,  of  every  appetite,  passion, 
propensity,  of  every  desire  and  affection,  of  everythmg  they 
call  their  own,  and  which  is  dear  to  them,  in  the  whole  crear 
tion,  to  make  a  tiiorough  surrender  and  dehvery  of  them  ali 
to  God.     To  gain  such  knowledge  is  a  work  of  time  ;  and 
growth  in  the  favor  of  God  is  conditioned  on  making  a  full  sur- 
render and  consecration  to  God  of  everjiihiug  we  are,  and  have, 
and  desire,  and  love,  as  fast  as  these  objects  are  presented 
to  thought.     As  long  as  we  exist,  and  knowledge  increases, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  we  shall  be  called  upon  to  grow  in 
grace,  by  consecrating  to  God  every  new  object  of  knowledge, 
of  desire,  and  of  affection,  that  we  may  come  to  know,  and 
desire,  and  love,  to  all  eternity.      As  you  get  new  light,  you 
must  enlarge  your  consecration  from  day  to  day,  and  from 
hour  to  hour,  or  you  will  cease  to  grow  in  grace.     Whenever 
you  stop   short,  and  do  not  lay   and  leave  everything  that 
you  are,  that  you  possess,  or  that  you  love,  upon  the  altar  of 
consecration,  that   moment  you  cease  to  grow  in  grace.     I 
pray  you  let  this  saying  sink  deep  into  your  hearts. 

6.  Another  condition  of  growth  in  grace  is  intense  eamestr 
ness  and  constancy  in  seeking  increased  reUgious  light,  by 
the  illumination  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  You  wiQ  gain  no  effectual 
religious  light  except  by  the  inward  showiag  and  teaching  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  This  you  will  not  obtain  unless  you  continue 
in  the  true  attitude  of  a  disciple  of  Christ.  Remember,  he 
says,  "Except  a  man  forsake  all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot 
be  my  disciple.**  He  will  not,  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  be  youi 
Divine  teacher  unless  you  renounce  seU^  and  live  iu  a  state 
of  continual  consecration  to  him.  To  obtain  and  preserve 
the  teachings  of  Christ,  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  jou  must  con- 
fcinuaUy  and  earnestly  pray  for  his  Divine  teaching,  and  watch 
against  resisting  and  grieving  him. 


GROWTH    or   OBACO.  481 

7.  Another  condition  of  growth  in  grace  is  a  constant  con- 
formity to  all  the  teachings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  keeping  up 
with  our  convictions  of  duty,  and  with  our  growing  knowledge 
of  the  will  of  God 

8.  A  more  and  more  impHcit  faith  in  God  is  a  condition  of 
growth  in  grace.     By  implicit,  I  mean  an  unreasoning  faith, 
a  confidence  in  God's  character  so  profound  that  we  trust 
him  in  the  dark  as  well  as  in  the  light,  as  well  when  we  do 
not  understand  the  reasons  of  His  dealings  with  us,  or  of  His 
requirements,  as  when  we  do.     A  faith  like  that  of  Abraham, 
that  staggered  not  at  a  promise,  through  unbeHef,  though  the 
thing  promised  seemed  most  irrational  and  impossible.     An 
implicit  faith  is  an  unwaveiiog,  unquestioning  faith,  a  state  of 
mind  that  will  rest  in   God,  lq  his  promises,  in  his  faithful- 
ness, in  his  love,  whatever  appearances  may  be,  and  however 
fcryiag  and  apparently  unreasonable  his  commands  or  provi- 
dential dealings  may  be.     Abraham's  faith  is  often  commended 
in  the  Bible.     God  had  promised  him  a  son,  but  did  not  give 
him  the  promised  seed  until  he  was  a  hundred  years  old,  and 
Sarah  was  ninety.     But  notwithstandiug  Sarah  was  past  age, 
and  he  as  good  as  dead,  he  beUeved  that  God  was  able  to  ful 
fill  his  promise,  and  when  he  had  received  his  beloved  son, 
with  the  assurance  that  this  was  to  be  his  heir,  and  that 
through  him  the  promise  was  to  be  fulfilled  through  all  genera- 
tions, God  tried  his  faith  severely,  by  commanding  him  to 
offer  his  Isaac  as  a  burnt  sacrifice.     He  without  the  least  hesi- 
tation obeyed,  beheving  that  God  was  able  to  raise  him  from 
the  dead.     He  made  all  his  arrangements  to  obey  this  trying 
command,  with  such  calmness  that  neither  Sarah  nor  Isaao 
suspected  that  any  such  thing  was  in  contemplation-     This 
was  an  instance  of  the  exercise  of  implicit  faith.     Growth  in 
grace,  or  in  the  favor  of  Orod,  is  conditioned  upon  growth  in 
imphcit  confidence  in  Him. 

9.  A  more  thoroughly  sanctified  sensibiHty  is  a  condition 
o£  growth  LQ  the  favor  of  God.  By  the  sensibility,  I  mean 
that  department  of  our  nature  that  feels,  desires,  and  to  which 
belongs  all  that  we  call  desire,  affection,  emotion,  feeling,  ap- 
petite, passion,  propensity,  lust.  The  sensibiHty  is  an  invot 
untary  power,  and  moral  actions  and  quahties  cannot,  with 
^rict  propriety,  be  predicated  of  it  The  states  of  the  sensi- 
bility have  moral  character  only  as  they  derive  it  directiy  or 
indirectly  from  the  action  of  the  wilL  The  nature  of  man,  aa 
a  whole,  in  his  depraved  condition,  is  in  a  very  unlovely  state, 
and  although  the  will  may  be  given  up  to  God,  the  sensibility 
may  be  in  such  a  state  as  to  be  very  unlovely  in  the  sight  ol 


i$3  fiROWTII    IN    GRJLCB. 

one  that  looks  directly  upon  it,  and  knows  perfectly  evei^ 
excited  desire,  passion,  propensity,  lusi  It  is  through  th* 
sensibility,  mainly,  that  we  are  assailed  with  temptations.  It 
is  through  this  that  the  Christian  warfare  is  kept  up.  The 
Christian  warfare  consists  in  the  battle  of  the  will  with  these 
various  appetites,  passions,  propensities  and  lusts,  to  keep 
them  in  subjection  to  the  will  of  God.  If  the  will  maintains 
its  integrity,  and  cleaves  to  the  wiU  of  God,  the  soul  does  not 
sin  in  its  battle  with  the  excited  states  of  the  sensibility.  But 
these  rebellious  propensities  embarrass  the  will  in  the  service 
it  renders  to  God.  To  keep  them  under,  occupies  much  time, 
and  thought,  and  strength.  Hence  the  soul  cannot  render 
to  God  so  complete  a  service,  while  exerting  the  full  strength 
of  the  will  to  subjugate  these  propensities,  as  it  otherwise 
might  and  would  render.  These  appetites,  passions,  and  pro- 
pensities, although  not  sinful  in  themselves,  have  been  re- 
garded and  spoken  of  as  indwelling  sin.  Strictly,  they  cannot 
be  sin,  because  they  are  involuntary.  But  they  are  often  a 
great  hindrance  to  our  grovdih  in  (he  favor  of  God.  "  For 
the  flesh  lusteth  against  the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  lusteth 
against  the  flesh,  and  these  are  contrary,  the  one  to  the  other, 
so  that  ye  cajinot  do  the  things  that  ye  would.'*  This  means 
that  we  cannot  do  for  God  what  we  otherwise  would,  because 
we  have  to  battle  so  much  vrith  the  states  of  the  sensibility, 
to  keep  them  under.  As  the  sensibility  becomes  more  and 
more  subdued  and  in  harmony  with  the  will's  devotion  to  God, 
we  are  left  free  to  render  to  God  a  more  unembarrassed  ser- 
vice. Therefore,  the  more  thorough  the  sanctification  of  the 
sensibility,  the  more  thoroughly  we  are  in  favor  with  God- 

10.  A  growing  thoroughness  and  universality  of  consecra- 
tion, of  spirit,  soul,  and  body,  is  the  condition  of  more  and 
more  growth  in  the  favor  of  God.  It  is  common,  at  first,  for 
the  steadfastness  of  the  vdll's  devotion  to  God  to  be  overcome 
by  the  clamor  of  the  excited  appetites,  passions,  and  propen- 
sities, or  by  the  various  states  of  the  sensibihty.  Whenever 
the  will  yields  to  these  excited  states,  you  sin.  But,  in  such 
cases,  the  sin  is  not  willful,  in  the  sense  of  being  dehberate 
and  intentional ;  it  is  rather  a  shp,  an  inadvertency,  a  mo- 
mentary yielding  under  the  pressure  of  highly  excited  feeling. 
Neverthtjlsss,  this  yielding  is  sin.  However  excited  the  statea 
of  the  sensibihty  may  be,  if  the  will  does  not  yield,  there  is 
strictly  no  sin.  StiU,  while  the  will  is  steadfast,  maintains  ita 
consecration,  its  obedience  to  God,  the  appetites  originating 
in  the  body,  and  the  various  propensities  of  the  souX  which 
inhere  in  the  sensibility,  may  be  so  ajar,  in  such  confusion, 


GEOWTn    IN    GiiACE.  481 

ind  in  such  a  state  of  morbid  development,  that  the  soul 
inay  be  unfitted  for  the  employments  and  enjoyments  of 
Veavem 

11.  Hence,  the  taking  on  of  a  greater  fullness  of  the  Divine 
lature  is  a  condition  of  growth  in  the  favor  of  God.  Both 
the  will  and  the  sensibihty  of  God  must  be  in  a  state  of  ut- 
most perfection  and  accord.  All  of  his  desires  and  feelings 
must  be  in  perfect  harmony  with  his  inteUigence  and  his 
wilL  Not  so  with  us,  in  our  state  of  physical  depravity.  The 
depravity  of  sensibihty  must  be  physical,  because  it  is  invol- 
untary. Still,  it  is  depravity,  it  is  a  lapsed  or  fallen  state  of 
the  sensibihty.  This  lapsed  department  of  our  nature  must 
be  recovered,  sanctified,  or  completely  restored  to  harmony 
with  a  consecrated  wiU,  and  an  enlightened  intelligence,  or 
we  are  never  fitted  for  heaven.  As  we  become  more  and 
more  the  partakers  of  the  Divine  nature,  and  of  the  Divine 
holiness,  we  are  more  fully  sanctified  in  spirit,  soul,  and  body, 
and  of  course  grow  more  and  more  in  the  favor  of  God. 

12.  A  greater  and  more  all-pervading  fullness  of  the  Holy 
Spirit's  residence  is  another  condition  of  growth  in  the  favor  of 
God.  You  cannot  have  it  too  thoroughly  impressed  upon  you 
that  every  step  in  the  Christian  life  is  to  be  taken  under  the 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  The  thiag  to  be  attained  is  the 
universal  teaching  and  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  that  in 
aU  things  you  shall  be  led  by  the  Spii'it  of  God.  "  If  ye  are 
led  by  the  Spirit,  ye  shall  not  fulfill  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,"  If 
through  the  Spirit  ye  do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  body,  ye 
shall  live."  "  To  be  spiritually  minded  is  life  and  peace,  but 
to  be  carnally  minded  is  death."  Always  remember,  there- 
fore, that  to  grow  in  grace,  you  must  grow  in  the  possession 
of  the  fullness  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  your  heart 

13.  A  deeper  personal  acquaintance  with  the  Lord  Jesua 
Christ,  in  all  his  official  work  and  relations,  is  a  condition  of 
growth  in  grace.  His  nature,  work,  and  relations  are  the 
theme  of  the  Bible.  The  Bible  presents  him  to  us  in  a  great 
variety  of  relations.  In  my  Systematic  Theology  I  have  con- 
eidered  some  sixty  or  more  of  these  official  relations  of  Christ 
to  the  human  race,  and  these  are  presented  rather  as  speci- 
mens and  iQustrationti  than  as  coveiing  the  whole  gi'ound  ol 
his  relations  to  us.  Now,  it  is  one  tiling  to  know  Christ  simr 
ply  on  paper,  and  as  sj^oken  of  in  the  Bible,  by  reading  ol 
hearing  of  Christ,  and  quite  another  tiling  to  know  him  per* 
sonally,  in  these  relations.  The  Bible  is  the  medium  of  intro* 
duction  to  him  personally.  What  is  there  said  of  him  is  d& 
signed  to  lead  us  to  seek  after  a  personal  acquaintanoe  with 

19 


484  GROWTH    IN    GBACB. 

hinL  It  is  by  this  personal  acquaintance  with  hi-m  that  wi 
are  made  like  him.  It  is  by  direct,  pergonal,  individual  intei^ 
course  with  his  Divine  mind  that  we  take  on  his  image.  "  AD 
we,  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed 
into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord."  "  Faith  comes  by  hearing,"  and  faith  secures 
for  us  a  personal  acquaiatance  with  Christ  Christ  has  pro- 
mised to  manifest  himself  personally  to  those  who  love  and 
obey  him.  Do  not,  my  dear  children,  stop  short  of  securing 
this  personal  manifestation  of  Chiist  to  your  soula  Your 
growth  in  grace  will  depend  upon  this.  Think  not  of  stop 
ping  short  of  personally  knowing  Christ,  not  only  in  all  these 
relations,  but  in  the  fullness  of  ttiese  relations.  Do  not  over- 
look the  fact  that  the  appropriation  of  Christ,  in  ea<3h  of  these 
relations,  is  a  personal  act  of  faith.  It  is  a  putting  on  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  a  taking  of  him  as  yours,  in  each  of  these 
relations,  as  your  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and 
redemption ;  your  prophet,  to  teach  you,  your  king,  to  govern 
you,  your  high  priest,  to  atone  for  you,  your  mediator,  your 
advocate,  your  strength,  your  Saviour,  your  hiding-place,  your 
high  tower,  your  captain  and  leader,  your  shield,  your  de- 
fence, your  exceeding  great  reward.  In  each  of  these  rela- 
tions,  and  in  all  otlier  of  his  official  relations,  you  need  to  ap- 
propriate him  by  faith  so  as  to  secure  to  you  personal  in- 
tercourse with  him  in  these  relations.  Growing  in  a  per- 
sonal acquaintance  with  him,  in  these  relations,  remember, 
is  an  indispensable  condition  of  growth  in  his  favor. 

V.  I  am  to  notice  some  things  that  are  not  proof  of  growth 
in  grace. 

L  Growth  in  knowledge  is  not  condvmve  evidence  of  growth 
in  ffrace.  Some  degree  of  knowledge  is  indispensable  to  our 
being  in  favor  with  God ;  and  growth  in  knowledge,  as  I 
have  shown,  is  a  condition  of  growth  in  grace,  but  bnowledge 
is  not  grace,  and  growth  in  knowledge  does  not  constitute 
growth  in  grace.  A  person  may  grow  ever  so  much  in  knowl- 
edge, and  have  no  grace  at  alL  Li  hell,  they  cannot  but  grow 
in  knowledge,  as  they  grow  in  experience,  and  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  God's  justice.  But  there,  their  growth  in  knowledge 
but  aggravates  the  guilt  and  misery  of  hell.  They  know 
more  and  more  of  God  and  his  law,  and  ilieir  own  guilt,  and 
the  more  they  know,  the  more  wretched  they  are.  From  their 
increased  knowledge  they  never  learn  piety. 

2.  It  is  not  cei'tain  evidence  that  an  individual  grows  in 
grace,  because  he  grows  in  gifts. 

A  profesBor  of  religion  may  incream  in  gifts,  that  is,  he  majf 


OBOWTH   IN    GBiKIB. 

become  more  fluent  in  prayer,  and  more  eloquent  in  preach- 
ing, or  more  pathetic  in  exhortation  without  being  any  more 
h(My.  We  naturally  increase  in  that  in  which  we  exercifle 
ourselvea  And  if  any  person  often  exercises  himself  in  ex- 
hortation, he  will  naturally,  if  he  makes  any  effort  or  laya 
himself  out,  increase  in  fluency  aud  pungency.  But  he  may 
do  aU  this,  and  yet  have  no  grace  at  all.  He  may  pray  ever 
BO  engagedly,  and  increase  in  fluency  and  apparent  pathos, 
and  yet  have  no  grace.  People  who  have  no  grace  often  do 
■o.  It  is  true,  if  he  has  grace,  and  exercises  himself  in  these 
things,  as  he  grows  in  gi-ace,  he  will  grow  in  gifts.  No  person 
can  exercise  himself  in  obeying  God,  without  improving  in 
those  exercises.  If  he  does  not  improve  in  gifts,  it  is  a  true 
fldgn  he  does  not  grow  in  grace.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is 
not  sure  evidence  that  he  grows  in  grace  because  he  im- 
proves in  certain  exercises,  for  he  will  natui*ally  improve  by 
pi-actice,  whether  he  is  a  Christian  or  a  hypocrite. 

3.  It  is  not  proof  that  a  person  grows  in  grace,  because  he 
thinks  he  is  doing  so.  One  may  be  very  favorably  impressed 
with  regard  to  his  own  progress  in  rehgion,  when  it  is  evident 
to  others  that  he  is  not  only  making  no  progress,  but  is,  in 
fact,  declining.  An  individual  who  is  growing  worse  and 
worse,  is  not  ordinarily  weU  aware  of  the  fact  It  is  not  un- 
common for  both  impenitent  sinners  and  Christians  to  thini 
they  are  growing  betxer,  when  they  are  growing  no  better. 
This  results  fi'om  the  very  nature  of  the  case.  If  any  person 
is  growing  worse,  his  conscience  will,  for  the  time  being,  be- 
come more  and  more  seared,  and  his  mind  more  and  more 
dark,  as  he  stifles  conscience  and  resists  the  light  Then  he 
may  think  he  is  growing  better,  just  because  he  has  less  sense 
of  sin,  and  while  his  conscience  continues  to  sleep,  he  may 
continue  under  a  fatal  delusion.  A  man  mR  judge  of  his  own 
spiritual  state  as  he  compares  himself  with  a  high  or  low 
standard.  If  he  keeps  Cluist  before  him,  in  his  fuUness,  as 
his  standard,  he  will  doubtless  always,  at  least  in  this  state  of 
existence,  have  but  a  low  estimate  of  his  own  attainments. 
While  at  the  same  time,  if  he  sets  before  himself  the  church, 
or  any  of  the  members  of  the  church  as  a  standard,  he  will 
be  very  likely  to  form  a  high  estimate  of  his  progress  in  relig- 
ion, and  be  vety  well  satisfied  with  himself  This  is  the  rea- 
son why  there  is  such  a  difference  in  people's  views  of  their 
own  state  and  of  the  state  of  the  chmrch.  They  compare  them- 
selves and  the  state  of  the  church  with  dilierent  standards. 
Hence,  one  takes  a  very  humbhng  view  of  his  own  state,  and 
complains  of  that  of  the  church ;  another  thinks  such  cony 


436  GROWTH    IN    GRACE. 

plaints  of  the  church  censorious.  To  him  the  churoh  appean 
ko  be  doing  very  welL  The  reason  why  he  does  not  think  the 
church  cold,  and  in  a  low  state,  is  that  Chrih;t  is  not  his  stand- 
ard of  comparison.  If  a  man  shuts  his  eyes,  he  will  not  see 
ihe  defilement  on  him,  and  may  think  he  is  clean,  while  to  all 
around  he  appears  loathsome. 

VL  What  IS  proof  of  growth  in  grace. 

1.  The  manifestation  of  more  impKcit  and  universal  trust 
in  God  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  grace.  The  exercise  of 
greater  and  more  impHcit  confidence,  £is  I  have  said,  is  the 
condition  of  growing  in  the  favor  of  God.  Here,  I  say,  that 
the  manifestation  of  this  impHcit  and  universal  confidence  is 
proof  that  this  growing  confidence  exists,  and  is,  therefore, 
satisfactory  evidence  of  growth  in  the  favor  of  God.  If  you 
are  conscious  in  your  ovm  soul  that  you  do  exercise  more  im- 
plicit and  universal  confidence  in  God,  this  is  conclusive  proof 
to  you  that  you  are  growing  in  grace,  and  as  you  manifest  in 
your  life,  and  temper,  and  spirit,  this  growing  confidence,  you 
prove  to  yourself  and  to  others  thai  you  are  growing  in  the 
favor  of  God  For  as  you  grow  in  imphcit  confidence  in  him 
you  must  grow  in  his  favor. 

2.  Another  evidence  of  growth  in  grace,  is  an  increasing 
weanedness  from  the  world.  The  wOl  may  be  in  an  attitude 
of  devotion  to  God,  while  the  world's  seductive  charms  very 
much  embarrass  the  healthy  action  of  the  Christian  lifa 
As  the  soul  becomes  crucified  and  dead  to  the  world,  it  grows 
in  the  favor  of  God 

3.  Less  reluctance  of  feeling,  when  called  to  the  exercise  of 
self-denial,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  grace.  It  shows  that 
the  feelings  are  becoming  less  and  less  despotic,  that  the  will 
is  getting  more  the  mastery  of  them,  that  the  sensibility  is 
getting  more  into  harmony  with  the  devotion  of  the  will, 
and  the  dictates  of  the  intelligence. 

4.  Less  temptation  to  sins  of  omission,  is  another  evidence 
of  growth  in  grace,  e.  g.,  less  temptation  to  shun  the  cross,  to 
neglect  unpleasant  duties,  less  temptation  to  indolence,  less 
temptation  to  shirk  responsibility,  less  temptation  to  neglect 
prayer,  reading  the  Scriptures,  private  and  family  devotions, 
in  abort,  less  and  less  temptation  to  shun  the  performance  of 
any  duty,  is  evidence  of  growth  m  grace.  These  temptations 
consist  in  the  excited  states  of  the  sensibihty.  As  these  be- 
come less  in  strength  and  frequency,  we  learn  that  our  sensi- 
bility is  becoming  more  completely  subjugated  to  the  law  of 
the  intelhgence,  and  the  decisions  of  the  will,  and  consequent- 
ly, that  the  work  of  the  &anctiiication  of  the  spirit,  soul  and 


6BOWTH    IN    GRXOB.  48Y 

body  is  progressing,  and  that  therefore  we  are  growing  in  th« 
t&YOT  of  Grod- 

5.  A  growing  intensity  and  steadiness  of  zeal  in  promoting 
the  cause  of  God,  is  evidence  of  growth  in  the  favor  of  God. 
Sometimes  Christian  zeal  is  comparatively  cool,  at  other  times 
deep  and  intense,  sometimes  it  will  be  steady,  at  other  times 
fitful  and  evanesceni  As  Christians  grow  in  piety,  their  zeal 
becomes  deep,  intense  and  steady,  and  as  you  are  conscious 
of  this,  and  in  your  life  and  spirit  give  evidence  of  it  to 
others,  you  have,  and  give  proo^  that  you  are  growing  in  the 
favor  of  God. 

6.  Losing  more  and  more  the  oonsdousnesa  of  self,  and 
respect  to  self,  in  every  action  of  life,  is  an  evidence  of  growth 
in  the  favor  of  God.  Some  have  so  much  consciousness  of 
self  in  everything,  and  so  much  respect  to  self  in  everything 
they  say  and  do,  as  to  be  embarrassed  in  all  their  Christian 
life,  whenever  they  attempt  to  act  or  speak  in  the  presence  of 
otheors.  As  they  lose  this  self-oonscioufinesa,  and  have  less 
respect  to  self,  their  service  of  God  becomes  more  free  and  un- 
embarrassed, and  they  are  all  the  better  servants  by  how  much 
less  they  think  of  sell  Sonetimes  young  converts  cannot 
speak  or  pray,  or  perform  any  pubHc  duty,  without  being 
either  proud  or  ashamed,  as  they  think  themselves  to  have 
performed  those  duties  with  more  or  less  acceptance  to  those 
around  them.  While  this  is  so,  their  piety  is  in  a  feeble 
stata  They  must  lose  sight  of  their  own  glory,  and  have  a 
single  eye  to  the  glory  of  God,  to  find  acceptance  with  him. 
But  as  they  lose  sight  of  self,  and  set  Gk>d  always  before 
them,  having  an  eye  single  to  his  glory,  they  grow  more  and 
more  m  his  favor. 

7.  Consequently,  a  growing  deadness  to  the  flattery  or  the 
censure  of  men,  is  an  evidence  of  grov^  in  grace.  Paul  had 
grown  in  grace  so  much,  that  he  counted  it  a  light  thing  to 
be  judged  of  man,  he  only  sought  to  commend  himsell  to 
Gkxl  As  you  find  yourself  growing  in  this  state  of  deadness 
to  the  flatteries  or  censures  of  men,  you  have  evidence  that 
you  grow  in  grace. 

8.  A  growing  cordiality  in  the  acceptance  of  the  whole  will 
of  God,  is  evidence  of  growth  in  Ins  favor.  Some  rebel 
against  his  will  as  reveled  in  his  word,  and  in  his  provi- 
denoe.  Others,  under  trying  circumstances  will  barely  tole- 
rate his  will,  as  revealed  in  his  word  and  in  providence  ;  but 
those  who  are  growing  in  grace,  find  it  more  natural  to  them, 
te  embrace  his  whole  revealed  will,  with  greater  and  greater 
cordiality . 


498  GBOWTB    IS   GBACX. 

9.  Growing  calmness  and  quietness  under  great  ajQ3ioticma 

is  an  evidence  of  growtli  in  the  favor  of  God-  This  evinces 
a  broader  and  more  implicit  faith,  a  fuller  and  more  cor- 
dial acceptance  of  the  will  of  God,  as  revealed  in  these  afflic- 
tions, and  shows  that  the  soul  is  more  steadily  and  firmly  at 
anchor  upon  its  rock,  Christ. 

10.  A  gi'owing  tranquillity  under  sudden  and  crushing  disas- 
ters and  bereavements,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  grace. 
The  more  tranquil  the  soul  can  remain,  when  sudden  storms 
of  providence  come  upon  it,  sweeping  away  its  loved  ones, 
and  bhghting  its  earthly  hopes,  the  greater  is  its  evidence  of 
being  under  the  particular  favor  of  God  This  tranquillity 
is  both  a  result  and  an  evidence  of  the  favor  of  God 

11.  Growing  patience  under  much  provocation,  is  an  evi- 
dence of  growth  in  the  favor  of  God 

12.  "Long  sufiPering  with  joyfulness,"  is  an  evidence  of 
growing  in  favor  with  God  WTien  you  find  that  you  can, 
not  only  tolerate,  but  accept  the  will  of  God,  as  revealed  in 
caUing  you  to  suffer,  and  especially,  when  you  can  accept 
these  sufferings,  and  endure  them  long  and  with  joyfulness, 
you  have  evidence  that  you  are  growing  in  the  favor  of  God 

13.  A  growing  cordiality  and  joyfuhiess  under  crosses  and 
disappointments,  and  severe  pain,  is  evidence  of  growth  in 
the  favor  of  God 

14.  An  increasing  deadness  to  all  that  the  world  has  to 
offer,  or  to  threaten,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  the  f&Yor 
of  God 

16.  A  growing  repose  in,  and  satisfaction  with,  aU  the  allot- 
ments of  providence,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  grace. 

16.  Less  temptation  to  murmur  or  repine  at  any  allotment 
of  providence,  is  evidence  of  growth  in  grace. 

17.  Less  temptation  to  fret,  when  we  are  crossed  or  dior 
appointed  in  any  respect,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  grace. 

18.  Less  and  less  temptation  to  resentment,  and  the  spirit 
of  retaliation,  when  we  are  in  anywise  insulted  or  abused,  is 
evidence  that  the  sensibihty  is  becoming  more  and  more  thor- 
oughly subdued,  and  consequently,  that  we  are  growing  in 
favor  with  God 

19.  Less  temptation  to  dwell  upon,  and  to  magnify  our 
trials  and  troubles,  to  think  of  them,  and  speak  of  them  to 
others,  is  evidence  that  we  think  less  and  less  of  self,  and  ac- 
cept our  trials  and  troubles  with  more  and  more  complacency 
in  God  It  is  sad  to  hear  some  professedly  good  people^ 
dwelling  ever  upon,  and  magnifying  their  own  troubles  and 
trials.     But,  if  thej  grow  in  grace,  they  wlQ  think  less  and 


QBOWTH   nr  OBACS.  499 

less  of  these,  be  more  inclined  to  think  of  them  as  "  light  sA- 
flictions."  The  more  we  grow  in  grace,  the  less  stress  we  lay 
upon  the  evils  we  meet  with  in  the  way.  Said  a  good  man 
to  me  once,  who  was  really  passing  through  what  the  world 
would  call  very  severe  trials  and  afflictions  (he  had  lost  a 
beloved  wife,  and  his  children  had  died  one  after  another), 
"  I  have  many  mercies,  and  few  afflictions."  When,  under 
such  circumstances,  a  man  can  say,  "  the  lines  have  fallen 
unto  me  in  pleasant  places,  I  have  a  goodly  heritage,"  he  has 
the  most  satisfactory  evidence  that  he  is  growing  in  the  favor 
of  Gk>d.  For  this  state  of  mind  is  both  a  result  and  an  evi- 
dence of  the  favor  of  God 

20.  A  growing  disposition  to  make  light  of  our  trials  and 
to  magnify  our  blessings,  is  an  evidence  that  we  are  growing 
in  the  favor  of  God. 

21.  Less  and  less  anxiety  and  carefulness  about  the  events 
of  providence,  and  especially  about  the  things  that  nearly  and 
deeply  affect  ourselves,  is  evidence  of  growth  in  grace.  This 
is  an  evidence  of  a  broader  and  more  impUcit  faith,  of  a  more 
submissive  will,  and  of  a  diminishing  tendency  to  self-seeldng; 
and  is,  therefore,  an  evidence  of  growing  favor  with  God. 

22.  Being  less  and  less  disturbed  and  troubled  by  the 
•vents  of  life,  especially  those  that  go  counter  to  our  own 
plans,  and  hopes,  and  expectations,  and  desires,  and  that 
thwart  our  most  cherished  aims,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in 
grace. 

23.  A  growing  and  realizing  confidence  in  the  wisdom,  be- 
nevolence, and  universahty  of  the  providence  of  God,  a  state 
of  mind  that  sees  God  in  everythmg,  is  evidence  of  growth 
in  grace.  Some  minds  become  so  spiritual  that  they  hardly 
Beem  to  reside  in  the  body,  and  appear  continually  to  perceive 
the  presence  of  God  in  every  event,  almost  as  if  they  were 
disembodied,  and  beheld  God,  face  to  face.  They  seem  to 
dwell,  live,  move,  and  have  their  being,  rather  in  the  spiritual, 
than  in  the  natural  world-  They  are  continually  under  such 
a  sense  of  the  Divine  presence,  agency,  and  protection,  as 
hardly  to  appear  like  inhabitants  of  eartk  They  are  a  hving, 
waUdng  mystery  to  those  in  the  midst  of  whom  they  dwelL  The 
springs  of  their  activity  are  so  divine,  their  hfe  is  so  much 
hidden  in  God,  they  act  under  influences  so  far  above  the 
world,  that  they  cannot  be  judged  by  the  same  standards  as 
other  men.  Carnal  minds  cannot  understand  them.  Their 
hidden  life  is  so  unknown,  and  so  unknowable  to  those  who  are 
far  below  them  in  their  spiritual  life,  that  they  are  necessarily 
regarded  as  quite  enoentric,  as  being  mystics  or  monomaniacs. 


440  6BOWTH    Iir   GBJLCIS. 

and  as  having  very  peculiar  religious  views,  as  being  enthusi' 
Eksts,  and  perhaps  fanatics.  These  persons  are  in  the  world, 
but  they  live  above  the  world.  They  have  so  far  escaped  from 
the  pollutions  that  are  in  the  world,  that  they  can  truly,  Sknd 
understandingly  say  with  Paul,  in  Gal.  vi.  14,  **  But  God  for 
bid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesoa 
Christ,  whereby  the  world  is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the 
world"  Such  persons  are  evidently  growing  in  the  grace  of 
God. 

24.  Being  less  and  less  disposed  to  dwell  upon  the  faults 
and  foibles  of  others,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  graca 

25.  Being  less  and  less  disposed  to  speak  sarcastically  oar 
severely,  or  to  judge  uncharitably  of  others.  A  growing  deli- 
cacy, or  tenderness  in  speaking  of  their  real  or  supposed 
faults,  behind  their  back,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  grace. 

26.  An  increasing  reluctance  to  regard  or  treat  any  one  as 
an  enemy,  and  an  increasing  ease  and  naturalness  in  treating 
them  kindly,  in  praying  for  them  heartily,  and  in  efforts  to  do 
them  good,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  grace. 

27.  Less  and  less  temptation  to  remember  an  injury,  and 
the  abatement  of  all  desii-e  to  retaliate  when  injured,  is  an 
evidence  of  growth  in  graca 

28.  A  growing  readiness  and  cordiaHty  in  forgiving  and 
burying  an  injury  out  of  sight,  and  a  land  of  moral  inability 
to  do  otherwise  than  seek  the  highest  good  of  those  who  have 
injured  us  most  deeply,  is  an  evidence  of  growth  in  graca 

29.  When  we  find  in  our  own  experience,  and  manifest  to 
others,  that  it  is  more  and  more  natural  to  regard  all  men  as 
our  brethren,  especially  to  drop  out  of  view  aU  sectarian  dis- 
criminations, aU  ideas  and  prejudices  of  caste,  and  of  color, 
of  poverty,  and  of  riches,  of  blood  relation,  and  of  natural, 
rather  than  of  spiritual  ties,  and  to  make  common  cause  with 
God,  in  aiming  to  do  good  to  all  men,  to  enemies  and  friends 
alike,  we  have  then  ourselves,  and  give  to  others,  the  highest 
evidence  of  our  growing  iu  the  favor  of  God- 

30.  Especially  is  it  txue,  when  we  find  ourselves  very  co^ 
dial  and  mil-hearted,  in  making  great  sacrifices  for  those  that 
hate  us,  and  having  a  wilhngness  to  lay  down  our  lives,  to 
promote  their  eternal  salvation,  that  we  have  evidence  of 
growth  in  grace. 

31.  StiLl  more  especially,  when  we  find  ourselves  less  and 
less  inclined  to  account  anything  a  sacrifioe  that  we  can  do  for 
God,  or  the  souls  of  men  ;  when  we  can  account  our  Uves  not 
dear  unto  us,  if  called  to  lay  them  down  to  save  the  souls  of 
enemies,  when,  for  the  "joy  of  saving  them,"  "we  can  endure 


eBOWTH    IN   GSACB.  441 

^e  cross,  and  despise  the  shame,"  or  any  sacrifice  that  we  are 
called  to  make,  we  have  evidence  that  we  are  growing  in  favor 
with  God. 

32.  Again,  when  we  find  ourselves  more  and  more  inclined 
to  "  count  it  all  joy,  when  we  Ml  into  divers  temptations," 
and  when  we  an  disposed  to  look  upon  our  trials,  vexations, 
losses,  and  crosses,  in  such  a  light  as  to  lay  less  and  less  stress 
npon  them,  we  have  evidence  that  we  are  growing  in  patience, 
and  therefore,  in  favor  with  God. 

33.  When  we  find  less  and  less  reluctance  to  making  ftdl 
confession  to  those  whom  we  have  injured,  when  with  increas- 
ing readiness  and  cordiality  we  lay  our  hearts  open  to  be 
searched,  take  home  conviction  of  wrong-doing,  and  when  in 
such  cases,  we  cannot  rest  till  we  have  made  the  fullest  con- 
fession and  reparation  within  our  power,  when  to  own  up, 
and  confess,  and  make  the  fullest  satisfaction,  in  a  luxury  to 
us,  rather  than  a  trial  and  a  cross,  we  have  evidence  that  we 
are  growing  in  the  favor  of  God. 

34  When  we  are  more  and  more  impressed  and  affected  by 
the  mercies  of  God,  and  by  the  kindnesses  of  our  fellow-men 
and  those  aroimd  us,  when  we  more  deeply  and  thoroughly 
appreciate  manifestations  of  kiiidness  in  God,  or  in  any  one 
else,  when  we  are  more  and  more  humbled  and  siffected  bv 
these  kindnesses,  and  find  it  more  and  more  natural  to  "walk 
humbly,  love  mercy,  and  do  justly,"  and  five  gratefully,  we 
have  evidence  that  we  are  growing  in  favor  with  GocL 

35.  When  we  find  ourselves  drawn,  with  increasing  earnest- 
ness to  follow  on  to  know  more  of  the  Lord,  we  have  evi- 
dence of  growth  in  grace. 

36.  When  we  find  ourselves  more  and  more  readily  im- 
pressed and  affected,  quickened  and  stimulated  by  religious 
truth,  and  when  we  find  an  increasing  hiirmony  in  the  action 
of  all  our  powers,  intellectual,  voluntary,  and  sensitive,  in  ac- 
cepting, and  resting  in,  the  whole  will  and  providence  of  God, 
however  afflictive  tiiey  may  at  present  be,  we  have  evidence 
that  we  are  growing  in  graca 

37.  A  growing  jealously  for  the  honor  of  God,  for  the  purity 
and  honor  of  his  church,  for  the  rights  of  God,  and  for  the 
rights  of  all  men,  is  evidence  of  growing  in  conformity  to 
God,  and,  of  course,  of  growing  in  his  favor. 

VLL  How  to  grow  in  grace. 

1.  Fulfill  the  conditions  noticed  under  the  fourth  head  of 
this  lecture.     I  need  not  repeat  them. 

2.  Remember  that  every  step  of  progress  must  be  made  by 
taith,  and  not  by  works.     The  mistake  that  some  good  meo 


443  GROWTH   IN   GRACB. 

h«TO  made  apon  this  subject,  is  truly  amazing.  Dr.  Chakaers 
affirms,  that  the  way  to  be  sanctified  is  to  work  for  ii  A  few 
years  since,  Dr.  Pond  published  a  pamphlet,  in  which  he  took 
groimd  on  this  subject,  with  Dr.  Chalmers,  and  affirmed  that 
the  idea  of  being  sanctified  by  faith  was  an  absurdity.  In- 
deed, the  custom  has  been  almost  universal,  to  represent 
growth  in  grace  as  consisting  in  the  formation  of  habits  of 
obedience  to  God,  Now,  it  is  quite  surprising  that  so  many 
good  men  have  fallen  into  this  mistake.  The  fact  is,  that 
every  step  of  progress  in  the  Christian  life,  is  taken  by  a 
fresh  and  fuller  appropriation  of  Christ  by  faith,  a  fuller  bap- 
tism of*  the  Holy  Spirit  As  our  weaknesses,  infirmities,  be- 
setting sins,  and  necessities,  are  revealed  to  us,  by  the  circum- 
stances of  temptation  through  which  we  pass,  our  only 
efficient  help  is  found  in  Christ,  and  we  grow  only  as  we  step 
by  step  more  fuUy  appropriate  him,  in  one  relation  or  anoth^, 
and  more  fully  "put  him  on."  As  we  are  more  and  more 
emptied  of  self-dependence,  as  we  more  and  more  renounce 
and  discard  all  expectation  of  forming  holy  habits  by  any 
obedience  of  ours,  and  as  by  faith  we  secure  deeper  and 
deeper  baptisms  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  put  on  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  more  and  more  thoroughly,  and  in  more  of  his 
official  relations,  by  just  so  much  the  faster  do  we  grow  in 
the  favor  of  God.  Nothing  can  be  more  erroneous  and 
dangerous  than  the  commonly  received  idea  of  growing  in 
grace  by  the  formation  of  holy  habits.  By  acts  of  faith  alone, 
we  appropriate  Clirist,  and  we  are  as  truly  sanctified  by  faith 
as  we  are  justified  by  faith.  In  my  Systematic  Theology,  in 
pointing  out  the  conditions  of  entire  or  permanent  sanctifica- 
tion,  I  have  noticed  some  sixty  of  the  official  relations  of  Christ, 
as  I  have  before  said,  and  have  there  insisted,  as  I  here  insist, 
that  growth  in  hoHness,  and  consequently,  in  the  favor  of 
God,  is  secured  only  by  fresh,  fuller,  and  more  thorough  ap- 
propriations of  Christ,  in  aU  these  official  relations.  If  you 
would  grow  in  grace  you  must  do  it  through  faith.  You  must 
pray  in  faith  for  the  Holy  Spirit  You  must  appropriate  and 
put  on  Christ  through  the  Holv  Spirit.  At  every  forward 
Btep  in  your  progress,  you  must  nave  a  fresh  anointing  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  through  faith. 

RTCMARKR. 

1,  We  see,  from  this  subject,  the  vast  importance  of  rightly 
histructing  young  converts.  In  many  cases,  they  have  very  Httla 
kistruction  suited  to  their  experience  and  degree  of  Christian 


GROWTH    IS    OBACS.  449 

faitelBgenoe.  By  some,  such  views  are  taken  of  the  Persere*- 
anoe  of  the  Saints,  that  it  is  assumed  that  babes  in  Christ  will 
grow  without  nursing,  and  without  that  sincere  milk  of  the 
word,  by  means  of  which  they  must  grow.  Some,  taking  it  for 
granted  that  they  need  instruction,  unwittingly  give  them  false 
instruction,  set  them  to  work  outwardly  and  zealously,  without 
paying  much  regard  to  the  strengthening  and  developing  of 
their  inward  life.  They  do  not  teach  them  how  to  appropriate 
and  live  on  Christ  as  their  life,  but  continually  press  them  up, 
to  do  their  duty,  to  labor  for  God,  and  labor  for  souls,  not 
Boffidently  impressing  upon  them  the  idea  that  their  doing  ia 
of  no  account,  unless  it  proceeds  from  the  life  of  God  in  their 
own  souls.  The  result  of  this  is  a  bustling,  outward  activity, 
while  the  inward  spiritual  life  is  decaying.  This  must  end  in 
disgust  at  one's  own  want  of  heart,  and  a  settling  back  into 
apathy  and  neglect 

2.  Sometimes  there  is  a  mistake  made  in  the  opposite  direo 
tion.  They  are  taught  to  rest  in  Christ,  in  such  a  sense  as  to 
take  on  a  type  of  quietism  and  antinomian  inactivity.  They 
are  exhorted  to  exercise  faith,  but  they  are  not  earnestly  im- 
pressed with  the  conviction  that  it  must  be  a  faith  that  works, 
and  works  by  love,  that  purifies  the  heart,  and  overcomes  the 
world.  The  result  is,  they  do  nothing  in  religion.  Sinners 
are  allowed  to  sleep  on,  and  go  to  hell,  in  their  midst,  and 
they  make  no  effort  to  save  them. 

3.  We  see  the  importance  of  a  Holy  Ghost  anointed  minish 
try.  The  great  want  of  the  church  is  a  ministry  so  thor- 
oughly anointed  by  the  Holy  Ghost  as  to  know  how  to  lead 
the  church  onward  and  upward,  to  the  fullest  development  of 
Christian  piety.  In  order  to  instruct  converts,  and  keep  the 
church  progressing  in  holiness,  the  minister  must  progress 
himself.  He  must  be  a  truly  living,  growing  Christian.  I 
have  good  reason  to  know  that  the  churches  in  many  places 
are  deeply  pained  by  the  want  of  Uving  piety  and  growth  in 
their  ministers.  Their  ministers  are  intellectual,  literarr, 
philosophical,  theological,  in  their  teaching,  but  they  are  sadly 
deficient  in  unction.  They  have  but  Uttle  power  with  God  or 
with  majL  They  instruct  the  intellect  to  a  ceitain  extent,  but 
they  do  not  meet  the  wants  of  the  heart.  Converts  starve 
under  their  preaching.  They  preach  an  intellectual,  rather 
than  a  spiritual  Gospel  They  preach  religion  as  a  theory,  a 
doctrine,  a  philosophy,  and  not  as  a  real  living  experience.  It 
is  often  exceedingly  painful  to  hear  ministers  preach  who  mani- 
festly do  not  know  what  they  say,  or  whereof  they  sijQSrnL 
They  speak  of   religior.  &s  an  inward   sentiment,  instead  oi 


Hi  GROWTH   or    GRACE. 

heart  devotion  to  God  ;  as  an  emotion,  a  feeling,  instead  cA 
an  all-embracing  and  efficient  love,  a  voluntary  state  and  atti- 
tude of  the  mind,  fi'om  which  necessarily  proceeds  a  holy  lifa 
They  speak  of  faith  as  a  mere  inteDectual  state  or  convio' 
tion,  and  not  as  an  act  of  trust,  and  of  committal  of  the 
whole  being,  to  do  and  suffer  all  the  will  of  God.  They  speak 
of  repentance  as  if  it  were  a  mere  invohmtary  sorrow  for  sin. 
They  do  not  teach  that  repentance  is  a  change  of  mind  toward 
God,  a  renunciation  of  the  self-seeking  spirit,  and  a  turning 
of  the  whole  mind  to  God.  They  speak  of  holiness,  as  if  it 
were  a  state  utterly  unattainable  in  this  life.  Indeed,  I  say 
it  with  sorrow,  but  I  must  say  it,  the  teaching  of  a  great  many 
ministers  is  but  a  stumbling-blojk  to  the  church.  Under 
their  instruction,  converts  do  not,  and  cannot  get  so  estab- 
lished in  grace  as  to  be  greatly  useful,  or  to  live  lives  that  are 
honorable  to  Christ  Just  think,  in  the  Nineteenth  Century, 
ministers  j^reach  to  converts  that  they  must  grow  in  grace  by 
worka  Be  heaven  and  earth  amazed  at  this  I  Such  teachers 
do  not  know  how  to  grow  in  grace  themselves.  Shall  I  be  ac- 
counted harsh  if  I  say,   "  They  be  blind  leaders  of  the  blind." 

4.  We  see  the  reason  of  so  much  backsliding.  Converts 
win  of  course  backshde  who  are  led  by  falsS  iasbruotion.  If, 
on  the  one  hand,  they  are  set  to  work  out  sanctification  by 
works,  their  works  will  soon  become  dead  works,  and  not  be 
the  result  of  that  faith  that  works  by  love.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  they  ai*e  crammed  with  abstract  notions  and  doctrines, 
Eind  taught  to  rest  in  an  antinomian  faith,  they  will  sink 
into  supineness  and  iaactivity.  I  fuUy  beheve  that  in  nearly 
all  cases  where  there  has  been  disastrous  reaction  after  a  re- 
vival, it  has  been  owing  to  the  want  of  timely  and  proper  in- 
struction. But  to  be  timely  and  proper,  it  must  be  anointed 
instruction. 

5.  The  Theological  Seminaries  need  to  pay  vastly  more  at- 
tention to  the  growth  in  grace  of  their  students.  They  need 
a  professor  of  experimental  religion,  who  has  experience  and 
power  enough  to  press  them  along  into  those  higher  regions 
of  Christian  experience  which  are  essential  to  their  being  able 
to  lead  the  church  on  to  victory.  It  is  amazing  to  see  kow 
little  effort  is  made  to  cultivate  the  heart  of  young  men  study- 
ing for  the  ministry.  We  must  have  a  change  in  this  respect 
A  much  higher  standard  of  Christian  experience  must  be  re- 
quired as  a  condition  of  ordination-  It  is  painful  to  see  how 
carefully  men  will  be  examined  in  regard  to  their  intellectual 
attainments,  while  the  accounts  they  give  of  their  Christian 
experience  will  barely  allow  us  to  hope  that  they  have  been 


O&OWrH    I^    GKACK.  44A 

converted  How  sad  it  is  to  set  such  young  men  to  feed  the 
chuich  of  God  How  do  old  Christians  mourn,  when  they 
see  the  appointed  leaders  in  the  church  of  God  but  spiritual 
babea 

6.  I  have  never  been  present  at  the  examination  of  a  candi- 
date for  ordination  where  an^-thing  more  than  sunjjle  evidence 
of  conversion  was  required  of  hiiu.  I  never  heard  them 
questioned  touching  their  progress  in  Christian  experience, 
and  regarding  their  spiritual  ability  to  lead  the  flock  of  God 
into  green  pastures  and  beside  the  still  waters.  I  never 
heard  them  questioned  in  a  manner  that  manifested  the 
slightest  conception  of  what  are  the  indispensable  spiritual 
quahfications  of  a  man  who  is  to  stand  forth  as  the  leader  and 
spiritual  instructor  of  the  church  of  God  More  hours  are 
spent  in  ascertaining  the  intellectual  attainments  of  a  candi- 
cUite  than  viinutes  to  ascertain  his  spiritual  and  experimental 
attainments.  The  whole  examination  will  plainly  indicate 
that  the  ordaining  body  lay  very  httle  stress  on  tiiis  part  of  a 
minister's  education.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  church  of 
God  is  so  feeble  and  inefficient,  while  its  leaders  and  teachers 
are,  many  of  them,  mere  children  in  spiritual  knowledge, 
while  a  ripe  Chiistian  experience  is  made  no  part  of  the  in 
dispensable  education  of  a  minister.  Why,  this  is  infinitely 
more  dangerous  and  ridiculous  than  to  intrust  men  to  lead 
an  army  in  the  field,  while  they  merely  understand  mathemat- 
ics, iud  never  have  had  any  training  or  experience  in  mili- 
uiry  matters. 

In  this  respect,  too,  there  must  be  a  great  change.  Churches 
should  refuse  to  ordain  and  receive  pastors,  unless  they  are 
fully  satisfied  of  their  having  made  much  progress  in  Chris- 
tian experience,  so  as  to  be  able  to  lead  on,  and  keep  the 
church  awake. 

They  should  insist  upon  the  education  of  his  heari  as  weD 
as  his  head)  upon  his  ability  to  take  young  converts,  and  con- 
duct them  on  to  those  deep  experiences  tliat  ^oU  make  them 
stable  and  efficient  workers  in  the  cause  of  God  Tliink  of 
theological  seminaries  like  those  over  which  Dr.  Chalmers 
and  Dr.  Pond  have  presided,  where  the  leaders  of  the  church 
of  God  are  taught  that  sanctification  or  growth  in  grace  is  at/ 
tedned  by  works  and  not  by  faith.  Tell  it  not  in  Gath.  AlajE 
for  21ioii,  when  her  great  and  good  men  fall  into  such  unB^ 
Ukes. 


Theological  Seminary-Speer  Librar 


1    1012  01082  7808 


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